All Will Be Well
by AP Mom
Summary: It was nineteen years before "All was well" and the first few weeks were the hardest. A post chapter 36 of DH story detailing Harry's next week.
1. Enough Trouble for a Lifetime

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP Mom_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 1**

_Enough Trouble For a Lifetime_

Not only was the portrait hole open, but the 'Fat Lady' was no where in sight. Harry wasn't all that surprised given her penchant for gossip and celebration, both of which were running rampant around the castle. He was, however, surprised by the sight just inside the entryway to the common room.

Dust still lingered in the air and an odd ray of sunlight ricocheted off of piles of stone and plaster. Harry's face must have shown his shock because Ron and Hermione had pulled out their wands and were pushing past him, suddenly alert.

"Bloody hell!"

"Oh my!"

Harry couldn't have put it any better himself, so he just shook his head at the destruction that lay before them. His exhaustion was now bearing down on him like a weight. He couldn't react or even feel as he took in the sight of the hole in the ceiling that stretched upward through the boys dormitories, leaving thick layers of dust and rubble in its wake. He knew it had been a battle zone, he should have expected this, silly of him to think everything would be normal. He moved past his friends toward the stairwell and pulled the door leading to the boys side out of the way. It wasn't hard, it had only been held by one remaining nail. The door fell to the floor, sending up a cloud of dust, but the wasn't the noise they heard. A mournful wail came from above them and Harry carefully went up the stairs to the third landing, where he was met by a blockage of debris and a very upset ghost.

Nearly Headless Nick was frantically trying to move the rubble, crying out with every effort. "Nick? Nick are you all right?" Hermione asked gently.

"Oh, its you three! How wonderful!"

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked him uneasily.

"Oh dear me, yes!" the ghost replied, becoming upset again. "Poor Godric! I can't find him anywhere! He _is_ my responsibility, you know."

"Godric?"

"Godric Gryffindor?"

"Yes, yes, of course! He was right here!" Nearly Headless Nick cried, pointing to a large hole in the wall that now connected the two staircases. "He's been there for five hundred years! Ever since he was moved out of the common room because the girls kept putting their wigs on him!"

"There was a statue of Gryffindor there?" Ron asked looking at Harry, who clearly was thinking the same thing- neither had ever noticed it in the thousands of times they had been past that spot of stairs.

"A bust," Nick said. "In this niche, here." He pointed again towards the hole.

"Maybe it went through to the other side?" suggested Hermione.

"No, no. That seems to be only the debris from above." Nick replied gesturing up the boys staircase. Harry and Ron looked up, their hearts sinking. Their room had been at the very top, their beds too, and they were exhausted.

"Well," Hermione pointed her wand at the rubble, "let's see. Accio Godric's bust!"

Sure enough a large piece of rock broke through the pile. At the same time a few smaller pieces flew down towards them and a large bit of what appeared to be an ear was caught by Harry after it missed Ron by mere centimeters. "Lets hope this works." Hermione waved her wand over all the pieces, "reparo!"

"Thank you! Oh, thank you! You really are brillant!" Nick was beside himself with glee. He didn't even seem to mind that Godric Gryffindor now looked a bit like George Weasley.

"Er, Nick" Harry asked tentatively, "are the any rooms we could sleep in?"

"Just those three," the ghost told them, gesturing below. "But the 6th years is best.. Bottom floor," he added seeing the boys looks of confusion.

Harry sighed resignedly and turned to head back down the stairs. "I am sorry," Nick said softly, as he turned to Hermione. "The other side is better, but the stairs are blocked. All of the stone from this side flew over to there." His head wobbled as he followed the shaft of light from the upper floors on the boys side through to the gaping hole in the wall next to him. "We all owe you a great debt. All of you. Thank you, you don't know how bad it was around here." Somehow that just make them feel even worse.

The 6th year boys dorm was indeed fairly clean, the only problem was that there were only two beds. Two of the boys, Colin and Jack, had been Muggle-borns and Colin, Harry suddenly realized, would never be coming back. He sighed again. "I claim that bed," Harry pointed to the one furthest from the door. "Sorry," he added hoping he hadn't sounded too demanding. He sat down on the bed and tried to pulled off his filthy trainers. His stomach gave a loud rumble. "Kreacher!"

The elf appeared suddenly, laden with a tea tray containing sandwiches and juice and grinning broadly. The wide smile seemed to make his wrinkled face disappear into his bat like ears. Harry couldn't help but return the grin. "You read my mind!" he told the house elf.

Kreacher looked confused. "Oh, no Master! Kreacher would never do that!"

"I just meant that you already knew that I wanted food." Harry reassured him, pointing to the tray that was now on the bedside table.

"The other elves told Kreacher that his Master had not eaten downstairs. I knew Master must eat."

"Absolutely right," Ron agreed, grabbing three of the sandwiches and ignoring the elf's disgusted look as he shoved the first one into his mouth.

"Thank you, Kreacher. We really appreciate it." Hermione said. The elf didn't appear to hear her, he was busy apprising his master's condition.

"And Master will change his clothes before retiring," he muttered almost to himself.

Harry was halfway through his second turkey sandwich when he realized the elf was trying to pull off his trainers, they were apparently fairly well stuck to his feet. "Er, Kreacher, I'll get them. Please?" he added. Ron was now laughing between gulps of juice, as Kreacher disappeared with a faint 'pop'. Harry had the distinct feeling that he wouldn't be gone long, and couldn't help chuckling to himself. Hermione, however was glaring at the both of them.

"He's right you know. We must look petty grotty. We should clean up a bit."

She went over to the wardrobe next to the bed by the door and picked through it, coming up with two sets of training pants and two t-shirts. She held one pair of the pants up to herself and nodded. Then she tossed the other set of clothes to Harry.

"What about me?" Ron looked affronted.

"Over there." Hermione pointed to the other wardrobe. "Hooper is more your size. Oh, and I claim _that _bed," she gestured to the one Ron was on and left to go into the bath.

"And where am I going to sleep?" Ron asked Harry.

"Maybe if you shower, she might let you share. I'm sure she doesn't take up that much room," Harry smirked.

Ron's face lit up "Great idea mate!" He practically jumped off the bed and hurried to find some pajamas in the other wardrobe. He had knocked on the lavatory door before Harry could blink.

Harry drained his glass of pumpkin juice and felt his last bit of energy drain with it. He still had one more thing to do before he could sleep and the way to do it had occurred to him in a flash of clarity that belied his actual state of mind. "Kreacher."

"Yes, Master, does you wish more to eat?"

"No, but thank you, that was excellent. I was really proud of you when you led the other elves into the battle," Harry told him. Kreacher beamed. "I'm sure Regulus would be too, even Sirius for that matter." Harry smiled, that was definitely true. "I was hoping that you could do me one more favor, though."

"Master knows Kreacher will do anything. It is Kreacher's great honor to serve the great hero, Harry Potter!"

"Is it possible to apparate me down to the grounds?" he asked, ignoring the accolades for now.

"It is possible, Master. But not usually done. Kreacher will do it for his Master though", he added quickly after having seen Harry's look of disappointment.

"Thank you. This is very important or I wouldn' t ask," he assured the elf as he grabbed his invisibility cloak. "We shouldn't be seen."

Kreacher nodded and offered his arm to the space Harry had been. "We need to go to Dumbledore's tomb," Harry told him and they were there in no time at all. The tomb had been repaired from when Voldemort had broken into it but there now appeared to be damage from the battle. Harry, hoping it would not be too difficult to open, briefly considered using the Elder Wand to do so, but decide to try with his wand first.

"We need to open the tomb and give Professor Dumbledore his wand back," Harry told the elf. "And no one must ever know."

"Kreacher understands, Master. Kreacher will keep his Master's secret."

"I know you will Kreacher, that is why I trust you with this." Harry took out his wand, but before he could try an opening spell, the elf had levitated himself above the lid and was sliding it to the side. "Wow, good job, Kreacher!"

Harry quickly slipped the Elder Wand into the coffin, trying not to look. He didn't want to see Dumbledore's body again, and managed to accomplish his task without doing so. Kreacher then slid the lid closed and Harry added a protection spell, hoping it would be enough.

"Would Master like an elven spell as well for more protection?"

"You can do that?"

"We elves have very powerful magic, Master always forgets."

"Please, go ahead, Kreacher, I don't want anyone else to ever disturb him again."

"It would be stronger if there were more us."

"More of you?"

"Three is better, seven is best, Master. Hogwarts elves will keep Master Harry Potter's secret," he added, "especially for the great Headmaster."

"All right, but please make sure they are not seen."

Within a minute there were seven elves in Hogwarts tea towels circling the tomb. A bright flash of purple light enveloped it and then they were gone as quickly as they came, leaving Kreacher and his Master behind.

"Kreacher will bring Master to bed now." Soon Harry found himself undressed (even his shoes), lightly cleaned by magic and put into pajamas. The bed was almost as comfortable as the fog in Kings Cross and Harry was soon sound asleep. He never heard his two best friends come out of the bathroom and squeeze happily into the other bed together.


	2. Potterwatch

ALL WILL BE WELL

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 2**

_Potterwatch_

Light still streamed in through a crack in the draperies of the four-poster in which Harry slowly woke and stretched. Either he had slept only a few hours or all day and into the next morning. He couldn't be sure, but the fact that Ron was snoring loudly and Hermione was sound asleep beside him made him think that all that much time hadn't passed. Still, he felt fairly refreshed and more than a little hungry.

As he got out of bed and caught sight of himself in the wardrobe mirror, he started. He barely recognized the reflection looking back at him. Unkempt black hair and emerald green eyes, yes, but the eyes were dull and puffy and the hair matted and filthy. There was a two day growth of thick facial hair and bruises scattered on his face and arms. He found that his glasses were bent completely out of shape and his vision was blurred. While that was easily remedied, it seemed a shower was definitely needed for the rest. He pulled off his shirt and gasped. First, because the movement was a bit painful and second, because his chest was various shades of red and purple. Not only that but he now had a lightning bolt shaped cut right on top of the oval shaped burn scar from the locket horcrux. It was still bleeding slightly.

The hot water helped cleanse not only his body, but his mind as well. By the time he dried, shaved and dressed back into the clothes he slept in, he had realized that his thoughts had wandered not to dark lords and death , but to life and friends. It was quite a welcome change.

He grabbed his wand and his invisibility cloak and went out to the common room, leaving his two friends still sound asleep. The room was still dusty, but somehow seemed a bit cleaner. The portrait hole was now closed and he pushed it open to head downstairs to the Great Hall.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter," the Fat Lady said to him as he turned to close the portrait. Harry couldn't help but smile. She was wearing a Gryffindor banner across her shoulders and a red rose in her hair. There was a glass of champagne in her hand.

"Good party?" he asked.

"The best," she replied. "It is a shame you missed it as it was in your honor," she hiccupped. "I came back early so you wouldn't be disturbed, however."

"Thanks." Harry snorted. It certainly didn't appear that she had missed too much of the festivities, judging by her red nose and the empty glasses on the floor.

The castle was eerily quiet, at least until he got to about the third floor. He could hear the chatter of voices as he got closer to the open front doors. From the top of the marble staircase, he could see students milling about the entryway and the outlines of the school carriage in the drive. Curious, he headed down further. A few straggling Hufflepuffs passed him on their way out of their dormitories, dragging their trunks behind them and talking excitedly. They stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of him and dropped everything to greet him and shake his hand. A few of the girls hugged him. He didn't recognize any of them, but murmured 'your welcomes' and 'no problems' in response to their gratitude. It was all a bit overwhelming and he hoped that all of this attention would stop soon, although he had his doubts. He would probably have to get used to it.

He finally made it into the Great Hall and was glad to find a pitcher of water on the table. His throat was a bit scratchy and the cool water felt great going down. So immersed was he in drinking, that he hadn't noticed Professor McGonagall until she had her arms almost wrapped around him. The hug she gave him was a bit uncomfortable, not only because she was usually so prim and proper but because it made his ribs hurt even more.

"Harry! I do hope you got enough sleep?" She looked him over appraisingly, "maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey?"

"I'm fine Professor. I'm more hungry than tired right now."

She smiled warmly at him, pride etched in every line of her face. "The house-elves will be setting up a buffet dinner for the staff and the others that are still here in about half an hour. As soon as we get all the students onto the Express."

"Great! Thanks. The students came back for their things and now are going home?" he questioned. It made sense.

She nodded. "Those that could enter their dormitories, yes. Slytherins and Hufflepuffs. Unfortunately, the Ravenclaw rooms look a bit like the ones in Gryffindor Tower and we didn't deem it safe for them to go up. Their belongings will be sent along as soon as possible."

"Gryffindor looked pretty bad," he told her.

"Yes, so Sir Nicholas reported. The Ravenclaw Tower looks much the same, I'm afraid. It will take some time to rebuild."

"But it can be rebuilt? Professor?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter. This is a magical castle, after all," she winked. Her smile widened as she turned away and headed to the entrance hall. "Pomona?" he heard her call, "have all your students left?

There were only a few adults in the Great Hall and they all seemed to be clustered around a doorway that Harry knew led to a fancy anteroom. He briefly wondered if that was where the bodies had been taken, but was spotted before he could confirm his suspicions. As before he found himself chatting to complete strangers and accepting their gratitude and praise. Fortunately, he was rescued by the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt and led away to a more quiet corner.

A little more than a half an hour later the Hall had filled up considerably. Harry wasn't quite sure where all the people had come from, but they were certainly there now, and the noise level had quadrupled. They were just in time for dinner too, as the Slytherin table filled with a grand buffet. No one was at all upset when the Minister led Harry Potter to the front of the line and the young hero loaded his plate(s) with food.

He sat with Kinsley and Lee Jordan who was planning to air a "Potterwatch" broadcast from Hogwarts shortly. Harry thanked them both for the show that had so raised his spirits and they in turn offered to 'allow' him to join them for the last episode.

Harry figured it was best to get the explanations over with rather than let the rumors fly so he agreed, knowing that Kingsley would not let him say anything he shouldn't. Lee excused himself to prepare just as Ron and Hermione sat down next to him. Harry got the impression that Lee didn't want to be around Ron by his sudden exit. Shacklebolt soon followed after offering his condolences to Ron. "Lee's really upset, Fred was his best mate. I'd better get up there before he starts," Kingsley said. "See you in a few minutes then, Harry."

Harry nodded. Ron and Hermione looked curiously at him. " I told them I would go on the show," he explained.

"Oh, Harry, that's a great idea!" Hermione grinned. Ron, on the other hand looked grumpy.

"Why don't you two come?" Harry asked. "Definitely be a change of pace, eh?"

Ron perked up but Hermione shook her head. "No, Harry, its you people need to hear from right now. Besides, it's just still a bit overwhelming right now. I don't think I could."

Harry looked to Ron who looked sullen again. "Reckon, she's right, mate," he shrugged. Harry finished off his dinner and bade them good-bye saying, "see you then. Just hope I don't embarrass myself."

"_Welcome to our last edition of Potterwatch! I am Lee 'River' Jordan and with me is tonight is 'Royal' whom you will know better as our new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt._

_Interim Minister, Lee_

_Well no better man for the job, as far as I'm concerned. _

_Thank you, River. We'd like to thank the WWN for hosting our broadcast tonight from Hogwarts._

_Yes, much better than our last broadcast from the beautiful white cliffs of Dover! For those of you still hiding out in caves…or elsewhere; early this morning our namesake, Harry Potter, killed the dark wizard known as 'You Know Who, 'He Who Must Not Be Named' and yes folks- Lord Voldemort._

_Brave of you, Lee. Yes not only has he been defeated, but most of the Death eaters and their accomplices have been arrested and the Ministry of Magic has been given back to the people. It will, however take some time to rebuild our society, but we can't do_ _it without you-all of our citizens. So if you are in hiding, in exile, in-cognito whatever your so-called 'blood status' I assure you it is safe to return. As far as this Ministry is concerned, all magical blood is the same and it is all precious to us._

_Exactly what we have been fighting for, Kingsley . Again, for those of you who haven't heard the news, a battle started at midnight at Hogwarts school between the Death Eaters and their army of dark creatures and the forces of the light including the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army and the staff and denizens of Hogwarts. All students were safely evacuated except those of age who wished to fight._

_And of course Harry Potter._

_Of course. Although it ended at dawn with the confirmed death of The Dark Lord and the defeat of the Death Eaters, there were, unfortunately, a number of casualties and we would like to honor them now._

_Yes, Lee. We mourn the deaths of two of our Potterwatch colleagues- 'Romulus' also known as Professor Remus Lupin and 'Rapier' –Fred Weasley, twin brother of George and co-owner of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Also killed in the battle was Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, Remus' wife and a highly respected Auror. The Lupins leave behind their three week old son…… In total 53 people lost their lives in the battle. Thirty seven of those were fighting for freedom for us all. Let us honor them now with a moment of silence."_

Harry thought his heart was breaking as tears streamed down his face. A quick glance at the two men in the next room proved he was not the only one. A few minutes later he heard the strains of a hauntingly beautiful song fill the air and Kingsley ushered him into the broadcast room.

"I will remember you.

Will you remember me

Don't let your life pass you by

Weep not for the memories"

Lee could not continue on and brushed past Harry on his way out, overcome with emotion. Both Harry and Kingsley took deep breaths to regain their composure as the song ended.

"_Sarah McLaughlin. I couldn't have put it better myself. We will all miss those who have died due to this war as well as the last. Voldemort has decimated our entire society, terrorizing both purebloods and muggleborns. Let us always remember those who fought so bravely for the freedoms we can now all enjoy as we rebuilt our world and look towards a brighter future._

_And we have an excellent Minister for Magic to help us move in that direction._

_Thank you, Harry Potter. And thanks to you. We all owe you a great debt of gratitude._

_My pleasure, Kingsley. Well it wasn't exactly pleasurable, but I was glad to be able to help and am certainly thrilled by the outcome. But I think I need to emphasize here that I certainly didn't do it alone. Yes, Voldemort's death was caused by me, but I couldn't have gotten to that point without a lot of help. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in particular were with me every step of the way, even when those steps seemed to lead us nowhere. They saved my life more times than I can count, just by being there. And they fought along side me bravely even when it looked like a lost cause, they never gave up and I can never thank them enough for their support. We also had the support of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, I probably will never know the full impact of their actions. We got assistance from Goblins and House Elves, Centaurs and Giants. It was definitely a joint effort. Although I really need to apologize to the Goblins at Gringotts for the damage we caused to both the bank building and its reputation. I assure you all that one could not even think about breaking into Gringotts without inside help and we certainly would not have attempted it unless it was absolutely necessary to defeat Voldemort. We are very grateful to the Goblins._

_You'll be happy to know that the dragon has been found, Harry_

_Oh, good! We were a little concerned about him. He was quite old and a bit blind. Quite fortuitous that he was the one guarding the vault we needed to break into. I'm pretty sure that between the noise and confusion, he was just as happy to get out of there as we were._

_He'll be retired to a nice preserve_

_I guess I owe Gringotts a Dragon, then?_

_We're not quite sure of the protocol, Harry. I'm sure we can all work something out, though. Can we talk for a bit about the objects you were searching for?_

Harry and Kingsley had decided to make up a plausible story for this question. They didn't think that advertising Horcruxes was a good idea and besides it would likely take all night. Harry settled on a shorted version of semi truth.

"_I'm a little shy on the details, but Voldemort- Tom Riddle was his real name, by the way, was collecting objects belonging to the founders of Hogwarts. One from each that when put together would give the bearer some kind of immense power. All I know is that Dumbledore felt it was very important to stop that quest and in fact he had already retrieved one object, a locket of Slytherin's, from the place that Riddle had stashed it. Unfortunately it turned out that it was a fake, someone else had tried to stop Riddle before, but that's an even longer story. So we had to search for the locked again. Turned up on the neck of Dolores Umbridge._

_Hence your foray into the Ministry?_

_Yes. Umbridge had not idea what it was but that didn't make it any easier to get. Dumbledore knew that the Hufflepuff object was a cup that was stolen at the same time as the locket was originally, so it was just a matter of finding where Riddle hid it. That was in Gringotts. Ravenclaw's only known artifact was her diadem and we didn't have a clue other than it was most likely at Hogwarts. Last night, 'The Grey Lady" was able to shed some light on it and we were able to locate it. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fiendfyre during the battle._

_Fiendfyre?_

_HmmHmm, Slytherin student gone insane. So the only remaining object was the sword of Gryffindor and I knew that would present itself to a worthy Gryffindor at the right time, as it had for me several years ago. This time it was Neville._

_Who killed Voldemort's snake with it._

_Yes, he had some kind of magical connection to that snake, it had to be severed._

_And severed it was._

_Neville was brilliant!_

_Indeed he was. During your duel with Riddle, as you like to call him, you mentioned the Elder Wand of lore, the Death Stick, if you will…_

_Riddle believed that Dumbledore's wand had been THE Elder Wand. An assumption based on speculation, that was based on rumors. Riddle had quite an ego and deluded himself into thinking that the only way Dumbledore could have been so powerful was if he had an extremely powerful wand._

_But Albus Dumbledore was always a very powerful wizard, even as a young man.._

_Of course, but Voldemort forgot that. Like I said, he was quite delusional and by the end I'd say quite mad._

_Only by the end?_

_Well, even more so. But he was also very powerful, a deadly combination, of course. He was the worst when he was angry, Extraordinarily powerful when angered, so I needed to keep him calm and a little off his game. I needed to make sure that I got an extra few seconds of hesitation so that I could counter his curse when it came._

_The killing curse at the end? _

_Yes._

_With a disarming spell._

_Yes, I've been told its my signature move._

_You can't argue with success. People are saying that you survived a killing curse in the forest just before that. That would be twice in your life, then._

_And I don't expect it to happen a third time! The first time, when I was a baby, my mother sacrificed herself to protect me. Old blood magic, apparently. The second time was related to the first. When he got his body back, after the tri-wizard maze task, he used my blood to revive himself. It kept my mothers sacrifice alive and tied my life to his. Obviously, he didn't have a clue because he used the killing curse again the third time._

_That was HIS signature move._

_Indeed it was. He first used it on his father and grandparents at 17._

_One nasty wizard. How certain are you that he is dead?_

_(Sigh) I'd say 95_

_Not 100?_

_We're pretty sure we got everything, but this is Voldemort we are talking about. Who knows if he had something else up his sleeve? But if Hogwarts defense professor lasts more than a year next time, I'll move it up to 99_

_The job really was cursed then?_

_Riddle was upset that Dumbledore wouldn't hire him._

_Shrewd bastard. But thanks to you, he's gone and we all have a much brighter future ahead of us. Thank you again Harry Potter for all you have sacrificed for all of us. We are eternally grateful._

_You're welcome._

_And that concludes our last broadcast of Potterwatch. Thanks for your support from all us here-especially those who can no longer be here. You can catch Lee Jordan on the WWN starting Monday evening at 6 and I can be found at the Ministry of Magic for a while as your new Minister. Harry Potter will, I'm sure, be coming to a chocolate frog card sometime soon. Let us all celebrate our good fortune by lending our friends and neighbors a hand to rebuild our homes, our shops, our government and our lives. Good Night and have a brighter tomorrow."_


	3. Ministry of Magic

ALL WILL BE WELL

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 3**

_Ministry of Magic_

"That was ruddy brilliant, Harry!" Ron exclaimed as Harry and Kingsley exited the room they had used as the 'Potterwatch' studio. Hermione smiled in agreement, one hand entwined with Ron's and the other trying to grasp Harry in a hug.

"Yes, Harry. I can't thank you enough for clearing up all those nagging little details," Shacklebolt said with a wink. "It will go a long way to assure everyone that you aren't the next dark lord."

"Do they really think that?"

"Who knows what they think at this point? All anyone has heard for the last few years is how dangerous and unstable you are. Hearing you speak and reassuring them that you are what your allies have said all along will go a long way to assuage their thoughts. By the way, apologizing to the Goblins and thanking them for their support was a stroke of diplomatic genius. Quite impressive. I'm certainly glad you are on my side, Harry." Kingsley told him.

"I was a bit worried about their reaction. I know Goblins can be a bit menacing. I hope we didn't cause too much trouble."

"I've got Bill working on it. He still has a lot of Goblin connections and well, since you used his house as the place to negotiate with Griphook- he's already involved." Harry hung his head,. He had hoped he wouldn't cause Bill any trouble. "You definitely made his job easier just now, though," Kingsley was saying.

"Glad I could help," Harry replied a bit sarcastically.

"Speaking of help," the Minister went on, now looking at Ron and Hermione, "I was hoping you three could come down to the ministry and review the lists of Death Eaters and their supporters with us. I know you met up with quite a number of them in the last few months"

"Sure," said Ron. "When?"

"Er," said Kingsley, "no time like the present? Your dad's there now, Ron," he added hopefully.

The three looked at each other. Harry shrugged and Hermione responded. "I don't think we have anything else to do this evening, Minister."

"Thanks. I'll tell the guards at the visitors entrance to expect you," Shacklebolt said as he hurried away.

"I wonder if he's slept at all?' Ron asked no one in particular.

After a round of 'good-byes' to the teachers and the others- and a quick explanation to Professor McGonagall as to why there was a pensieve on the Headmaster's desk-they walked to the gates of the school. The evidence of the destruction was everywhere. The Quidditch pitch was half gone, the locker rooms now a pile of ash and timbers. Here and there a stray broom or shirt seemed to have made it through unscathed. Hagrid's hut had a gaping giant sized hole in the roof and the gardens were trampled and burned. Bricks and stones, some the size of railroad cars, littered the grounds as they made their way through the bloody battlefield in silence. Harry was glad to finally get away from it all as he disapparated from the school. The damage and destruction of his first true home were more than he could bear.

The scene at the Ministry that awaited them, however, made them feel like they were still in a war zone. After being greeted by two burly hit-wizards who immediately shoved wands in their faces, they were scanned and questioned until finally saved by an Auror Harry recognized as a guy named Williamson, who was on his way out to get food for the rest of his department.

"Really, really glad you could come," he said to them shaking their hands. "We need all the Aurors we can get." Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances. Hermione, however, was looking past the long haired wizard and into the atrium, a smug grin etched on her face.

The 'Magic is Might' fountain had been reduced to a pile of rubble, "I wonder what happened?" she whispered. "It looks like there was a battle in here too." Harry couldn't argue with that assessment. Indeed, scorch marks and blood stains marked the floors and walls, he was unpleasantly reminded of his foray into the Ministry in his fifth year and his heart sunk lower still. The good feelings he had gotten from being on Potterwatch had all but disappeared, replaced by numbness and exhaustion.

The golden gates that led to the elevators were hanging off their hinges and two more large men were standing in their place. Harry went up to them and introduced himself. The guards both bowed in respect and thanked them all. "Er, you're welcome. What happened here?" he asked them, gesturing behind him.

"Some of the old employees didn't want to go to Azkaban," one of them said, unconcerned. "The Minister said you were to go down to level two, the Aurors are using those offices." They nodded and went to the elevators, only two of which seemed to be working.

"Too bad the fountain's already gone," Ron said scathingly, "I would have loved to have had a go at it!" Hermione hugged him as they stepped into the elevator. When the doors opened, they found themselves in what could have been a very disorderly classroom. Paper memos were flying like airplanes back and forth, people in all sorts of wrinkled and torn clothing were shouting across each other and shoving parchments across desks. Others were running to and fro, looks of utter confusion on their faces..

Harry, Ron and Hermione just stood there, mouths agape, taking it all in for a few minutes before a dark haired Auror in disheveled scarlet robes finally approached them. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Weasley! Miss Granger! Thanks so much for coming down," he exclaimed while shaking all their hands enthusiastically. "We really needed some fresh faces around here to help organize this mess! Can't even sort people into units, yet, but we're working on it."

"Er, exactly what is it you need us to do?" Harry asked looking around with some trepidation.. "We're not really familiar with the Ministry."

"Ah, but you are very familiar with the Death Eaters and what we need is to make certain they are all accounted for." Harry nodded. "I'm Jeremiah Proudfoot, by the way. I think I'm the Chief Auror, or at least Kingsley said something to that effect this morning, at least I think it was this morning," he added shaking his head as if to clear it. "Wait here," he told them and he moved into the room.

They saw him climb up unto a desk in the middle of the room and use a sonorous charm to amplify his voice. "Gather 'round, gather 'round everyone, the reserves have arrived!"

The result was instantaneous. Twenty pairs of eyes looked in the direction of the elevator and as they took in the three heroes a loud cheer went up, followed by applause and much hand shaking and back slapping. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all quite overwhelmed by the welcome and kept moving back as one toward the elevator door. Proudfoot finally called his troops to order, "Let them breathe, folks. Don't want to kill them now, we'll never get out of here!" he laughed as the people backed away. Harry couldn't help but like the Auror, even amongst all this confusion, he still had a sense of humor.

"No we certainly don't want that," a very familiar voice cut in from the other side of the room. The commotion must have brought out other wizards from the offices down the halls as there were now small groups on both sides of the room. The group on their right was led by Arthur Weasley and Harry recognized Hestia Jones just to his left. On the opposite side of the room, Kingsley Shacklebolt was beaming down at them. After a few more rounds of welcomes and thanks, Kingsley got everyone seated and quiet. It was no mean feat, but he accomplished it with efficacious ease.

"As this is the first time all day that we've gotten everyone all in one place, first some announcements. As you know, I have been appointed interim Minister of Magic by a consensus of the Wizengamot, or at least what is left of the Wizengamot. Basically, I was in the right place at the right time and kind of got stuck with it by default." He looked around the room as everyone laughed. "I do have some experience, as I spent over a year as an assistant to the Muggle Prime Minister. Obviously, that will make for a very different atmosphere around here," Kingsley grinned as more laughter was heard. "On top of over twenty years as an Auror, I also have been in charge of the Order of the Phoenix for the last nine months." This fact surprised Harry almost as much as the rest of the crowd, as a slight gasp was heard, followed by respectful silence as the new Minister continued.

"I intend to take this position very seriously and hope that together we can bring the Ministry of Magic back to its purpose of serving all Magic beings. We have already purged the building of Dark Forces and gathered enough like-minded people to stabilize the Ministry for the time being. Obviously, there is still much work to be done. But, not tonight!" A collective sigh went around the room as the exhausted employees gave thanks. "But before we shut down for the night, we need to make sure that we have as many Death Eaters and their supporters identified and in custody as possible. That is where our young friends have agreed to help us. Having essentially been working as elite Aurors for the last few months, Harry, Ron and Hermione have intimate knowledge as to Voldemort's operations and personnel. They have witnessed many of the Death Eaters in action and visited their strongholds." Kingsley looked at the three young people with enormous respect and smiled, "hopefully, they will assure us that we are on the right track." Another nervous laugh went around the room and Harry suddenly felt like he was part of something special, like a new team starting a new season. His thoughts were interrupted as Shacklebolt continued.

"I'd also like to make sure we get as organized as possible tonight so that we can continue in the morning refreshed and productive. As Minister it is my duty to appoint the best people possible to head the departments and then get out of their way. I think I am off to a good start. Arthur Weasley," Kingsley gestured to his far right and Mr. Weasley took a small bow, "Has agreed to take up the position as Assistant Minister for Magical Affairs. Hestia Jones," here he gestured towards his left to where the witch was now standing, "Will take on the job of Assistant Minister for Muggle Affairs. Both are new titles that will hopefully help us better focus and reorganize the other departments. They are my chief advisors and I trust them both implicitly. Jeremiah Proudfoot is the new Head of the Auror department and his assistant will be Brian Williamson, they will be taking able bodies from the other departments to assist them in the follow up of the war with Voldemort, as well as adding trustworthy new aurors to the ranks. At this point, the other departments will be closed for the weekend while we reorganize and vet all employees, a job that will be done by myself with my advisors and the new Head of Personnel, Percy Weasley."

"The Morning Prophet will contain a statement from me that explains these changes and asks for assistance and patience from the public as we get the Ministry back up and running. So unless Lord Voldemort is spotted on the underground, you may leave once you get your assignments from Jerry or Brian. Get a good nights sleep and be back tomorrow morning. Oh, and one more thing, if you know of any former employees who have been in exile, please ask them to return to work, even if they've retired, we need all the expertise we can get right now." With that Kingsley and Hestia left the room, followed by Percy. The two Aurors and Mr. Weasley stayed behind to dole out assignments.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione soon found themselves ensconced in a small conference room with Williamson and another man, who had obviously been involved in the Battle of Hogwarts, judging by his torn and bloodstained robes. There was a large board attached to the wall with names and photographs of Death Eaters and comments as to their status. Harry had immediately been drawn to the board and already had found several errors while Ron and Hermione were still chatting with the two men.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead," he told them matter of factly. And so is this guy," he said, pointing to a photo of a wizard named Cummings whom Harry had recognized as having had the misfortune of standing next to the Gringott's Goblin that had informed Voldemort of their break in.

"Pettigrew?" Williamson asked, sounding happy. Ron and Hermione nodded. "Well, that's quite good news. Hope the bastard suffered after a what he did to Black and all."

Harry couldn't help but smile at the Auror' indignation. "Let's just say he got what he deserved," he told them.

"Good, good. Cummings, didn't we find his body at Malfoy Manor?"

"Yep," answered the other man, who's name was apparently Summerby. "Along with these guys," he pointed to three names on the board. "Must have just missed x-ing him," Summerby said as he took his wand and made a large black cross over Cumming's face.

The three teens went through each entry on the board with the older wizards. They spotted a few others that they knew to be dead or captured, but for the most part the aurors had done a fairly thorough job. The problems started to come to light as the three searched their memories for others that hadn't made the board. They systematically went through all their adventures (albeit very briefly) as well as Harry's visions (although he didn't say how he knew), the two aurors becoming more and more shocked and impressed with each story. They added about a dozen more names to the list, most of which they were able to cross off. They then narrowed down the list to only those still at large and wound up with less than ten names. The whole process had taken about two hours but they were all satisfied with the results. They were all ready to call it a night when Proudfoot came in to check on their progress.

"Oh, by the way, Harry," the Chief Auror asked, "what should we do with the Malfoys?"

Harry slumped in his chair and ran his hand through his hair. He had been hoping that he could avoid any direct involvement in the matter, but knew he was really the only one who knew what Narcissa had done for him. "Where are they?" he asked finally.

"Downstairs in the holding cells," Proudfoot shrugged. "I kind of forgot about them," he said. The crooked smile that played on his face told Harry that it might just have been on purpose.

"I don't think that Narcissa has the Mark'" Harry started to say.

"No, no she doesn't, but…"

"She lied to Voldemort. She told him I was dead. Granted she just wanted to see her son, but I don't think she cared for the cause all that much, anyway." Harry sighed, "I really don't recall her doing anything that nasty."

He turned to Ron and Hermione, "she certainly didn't try to stop any of it," Ron said. "It was her house and her sister…"

"Yes, but she couldn't at that point, either," Hermione added. "He would have killed them all."

"So her only crime was supporting her husband and protecting her son." He turned to Proudfoot, "not much of a case there, is there? Unless you guys have something else on her?"

"No, but she'll make a great witness, though. We have to make sure she doesn't do a runner." Harry agreed with that and The Chief went on, "What about the son?"

Harry thought about it. Draco never had a chance. His father had pushed his family so far into Voldemort's inner circle that there was no turning back. Dumbledore had wanted to give Draco a chance, and who was he, Harry, to pass judgment? "Can I talk to him?" he asked finally.

"Are you crazy?" Ron questioned. "You really want to see the git?"

"Yeah, I think I do. Might change how I feel about him. See if I should give him his wand back or not."

Ron shook his head, "you really are mental sometimes, you know. Give him his wand back," he muttered, shaking his head again.

"Harry shrugged. "A sign of good faith."

"Harry," Hermione said, "Malfoy means 'bad faith' in French."

"Exactly."

"Well you're not going to let Lucius off!" Ron demanded.

"Of course not," Harry said sharply. "He can rot in hell for all I care!" Visions of Ginny lying in the Chamber of Secrets suddenly popped into his head, "he needs to pay for all he's done."


	4. Good Faith

ALL WILL BE WELL

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 4**

_Good Faith_

Proudfoot assigned Williamson to escort Harry down to the holding cells. Ron and Hermione went down the hall to see Ron's dad, they had decided to meet back up in the Atrium and then figure out where to spent the night. Harry didn't much care.

"As long as there's a bed," he said

"As long as there's food," Ron replied. Hermione just shook her head, "boys!"

The cellblocks were on the tenth floor near the courtrooms and Harry remembered none to fondly the last time he had been down there. His hearing for underage magic had been turned into a paragon of government tyranny, especially as the government had tried to kill him first. He briefly wondered what had happened to Fudge and Umbridge but they had reached their destination and Williamson had turned to him.

"Which one first," he asked Harry as a guard stood waiting next to him.

"Narcissa."

The guard moved to a heavy wooden door to their right and pointed his wand at it. He muttered a spell that Harry didn't catch and made a few involved looking motions with it. The door unlocked and Williamson opened it to reveal Narcissa Malfoy smoothing her robes and hastily trying to appear poised and nonchalant.

"Potter," she said politely. "How nice to see you again." Her awkward smile seemed to say otherwise, however.

"Yeah, always a pleasure, Mrs. Malfoy," he replied trying unsuccessfully to keep the sarcasm at bay. One thing he had always admired about Dumbledore was the way he could say almost anything and still make it sound as if he was being cordial. This was just that kind of situation, and for some reason, Harry felt the need to make Dumbledore proud.

Narcissa narrowed her eyes but stayed silent, obviously waiting to see what the situation was. Harry took a deep breath.

"I want to thank you for what you did in the forest this morning. Lying to Voldemort." Harry was surprised to see that she didn't flinch at the name, her mask was still firmly in place. "That was very brave of you," he smiled.

Harry was glad to see her relax a bit. "He was quite mad, you know. Frightenly so," she stated. "We were held prisoner in our own home. If it wasn't for my sister, he would have disposed of us the way he did with everything else that he didn't think served

his purpose."

"And what was his purpose?" Williamson asked.

"Power. Nothing more, nothing less. He merely used the issue of blood purity to legitimize his crusade," Mrs. Malfoy said astutely.

Harry nodded. "Power, and he didn't care how he got it. And what about you Mrs. Malfoy?" he asked her, hoping for some insight.

"What do you mean?"

"What is your purpose?"

"Pardon?"

"What do you see yourself doing in say, ten years time?" Harry asked her curiously, catching Williamson's surprised smile in the corner of his eye.

"In ten years time?"

Harry nodded, trying to keep his face impassive. He had definitely thrown her off with the question.

"I, I don't know. I…. I didn't think there would be much of a future, to tell you the truth. We were just trying to survive," she said haltingly, looking at him curiously. A small smile came to her lips, "just like you, I suppose."

Harry cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. "A very honest answer, Narcissa. I'm surprised."  
"I'm not my husband, Potter."

"No, no I didn't say you were. But your not your sister, either."

"She, Bella, was always a little …unstable. We were never very much alike."

"I was referring to your other sister," Harry responded coyly.

"Andromeda? What does she have to do with this?" Her tone was more curious than biting and Harry knew he should just press on

"I saw you, your husband and your son in the Great Hall this morning. All together, one nice little family. All safe, all alive…" he didn't need to continue.

"And Andromeda has lost everyone," she said sadly. Her composure had slipped and she was starting to cry. Harry had already made his decision, but she went on without prompting. "The Dark Lord…he, he told Bella to 'trim the family tree' of… and she…she I'm sorry , I'm so, so sorry."

Harry went over to where she had collapsed sitting on the cot and bent down. "Don't tell me," he whispered in her ear, "tell Andromeda." He left the room and turned to Williamson, whose eyes were wide. "Now Draco."

The Auror went over to the guard and talked to him, the guard pointed to Draco's cell and then went to tell Narcissa Malfoy that she was free to go. The news, however did not make her happier, as Harry heard her cry, "my son. I am not leaving without my son!"

Harry watched as the guard escorted her out of the cellblock, she still had not regained her composure as Williamson performed the spell that would open the door to Draco. The younger Malfoy was lying in wait.

"What did you do to my mother! She doesn't deserve any of this! Why is she crying?" Draco screamed at the auror.

"That would be my fault, Malfoy," Harry said as he came from behind Williamson.

"Potter, she helped you!"

"And I just helped her," Harry replied calmly as Malfoy deflated. Harry nodded, "good, Draco. Just have a seat. I really don't want to stay here all night. I'm wiped. Maybe if you're lucky, mommy will get her wish." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Brian laughing, perhaps a little too much sarcasm, again, he thought to himself.

Draco stared at his rival, "We don't need your help."

Harry shrugged. "Fine go to Azkaban then, I really don't care. We saved your arse enough that we're more than even. Including that little bathroom incident."

"You had no idea what that curse would do, did you?"

"Nope. Totally clueless." He paused sizing Malfoy up, "you must know how that feels- to find you are totally clueless about something that seemed so right at the time? And then find out that it was one of the worst mistakes of your life?"

Draco glanced down at his left arm, "You're not talking about the bathroom anymore, Potter."

"I knew you weren't as stupid as your friends, Malfoy," Harry said. "Dumbledore seemed to think you were worth saving, you know. He knew exactly what your assignment was. He even told Snape to kill him to save your precious young soul." Draco looked shocked, Harry continued, "You knew perfectly well that it was us that Greyback brought to the Manor. Yet, you refused to confirm it. Why?"

Draco just looked down and remained silent. Harry frowned, he had hoped Draco would figure it out on his own. "Because, Dumbledore was right about you. You are not your father's son, as much as you aspired to be. In fact, you haven't been trying very hard for a while now. Daddy isn't so perfect anymore is he?"

"Don't go there, Potter…"

"Still the proud, haughty bully from the robe shop, Draco? Or do you want to do something more with your life besides espouse hate and pedal influence?"

"Big words, Potter," he sneered. "You sound like Dumbledore, you know," he added.

"I'm a lot smarter than I look, Draco and I know you are too. Surely you want to do more than rot in jail?"

"Going into career counseling, Potter? Like you ever had a future.." Harry turned to go, shaking his head. Draco sighed. "I actually told Snape that I wanted to be a solicitor."

"Were you serious?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Yeah, I think so."

"Wanted to protect pureblood interests?" Harry asked.

"No, actually, I wanted to defend criminals. The Wizengamot isn't known for its fairness."

Harry was surprised that even Draco would think that. Obviously the wizard judicial system had a bad reputation on both sides. "Do you still want to do that?" he asked.

Draco nodded and held up his arm. "Guess I blew that, huh?"

"No, Draco. I think you just made the wrong choice under bad circumstances, when you were too young to know better." Harry got up to leave and looked to Williamson, who went to find the guard. "Have a good life, Draco," he told the blond wizard, who understood that he was free to go.

Harry decided to offer the token of good faith. "Here," he said, taking the other boy's wand from his mokeskin pouch. "Worked really well for me. Might even be worth something, the wand that defeated Voldemort and all."

Draco looked up in surprise. "You… you're giving me my wand back?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I am. Don't make me regret it, Draco."

"Thank you, Harry," he said very quietly, a determined expression on his face.

"You know, Mr. Potter," Williamson said as they entered the elevator, "Malfoy was right about one thing."

"What's that?"

"You do seem a lot like Dumbledore,."

Harry smiled, "I guess he taught me more than I thought he did.."

Ron and Hermione were waiting for him by the main elevators. Actually, Ron was waiting, Hermione had taken it upon herself to remove the offending parts of the destroyed fountain and had transfigured three new statues, an elf, a centaur and a witch.

"Been waiting long then," he joked, admiring her handiwork.

"No, not really," she shrugged. "Just thought I'd keep busy."

"I think we've been busy enough, Hermione. Where to next?"

"Shell Cottage," Ron replied. ""Dad was exhausted. He left for Aunt Muriel's already. We thought you'd prefer someplace more familiar."

"Yeah, I would, thanks."

"So, what did you do with the Malfoys? Something good I hope?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"Very good. I let them go. But the aurors told them if they ever want to see Lucius again, they'd have to testify in court."

Ron shook his head and muttered 'mental' under his breath again. "I think you did the right thing, Harry," Hermione told him, pecking him on the cheek. Harry disapparated to the sound of the ocean and the smell of the salty air. He knew he would sleep very soundly tonight.


	5. A New Day

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 5**

_A New Day_

Harry took in a deep breath and remembered exactly why coming to Shell Cottage had felt like such a good choice. The lights were still on in the quaint little house and the moonlight shone against its shell imbedded exterior. The crashing of the waves and the smell of the salt air made the place feel even more magical than it was. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he told Ron and Hermione as they walked to the door where Bill was waiting to great them.

He was standing on the cliff side taking in the lure of the sea when the almost full moon attracted his attention, bringing his thoughts to Lupin. He was free of its pull now, but at what cost. His son would know why he died, yes, but Harry knew full well that it didn't make all that much difference to an orphan. And did Lupin even know that Tonks was dead? He didn't mention her in the forest. Just how did they die, anyway. He knew about Fred, but what about the others? What about poor Colin?

And then it just hit him. Waves of sadness and grief crashed over him just as powerfully as the waves below him. Hot tears streamed down his face and he couldn't stop them, he didn't even know if he wanted to. As tortured as his soul felt at that moment, there was something cleansing about it, just like the sea air that burned your face but strengthened your lungs. He didn't hear the slam of the cottage door or the soft footsteps as Fleur drew closer. He didn't acknowledge the blanket she wrapped around him or her sweet words of comfort. He just stood there until it stopped.

"Why?" was all he could say. "Why?... Such a waste."

"War ez never good, 'Arry. The peace that comes after ez good," Fleur said softly. "We will have peace now, thanks to you. It vill be okay."

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for anyone to die. I…"

Fleur brought him closer to her and hugged him. "Do not even think like that, 'Arry. You saved so many lives. So many. You did more than anyone could ask, more than most deserved. 'Arry remember what Dumblydore said," Fleur paused and whispered, " 'Remember Cedric'."

He nodded. He knew what Dumbledore had said, he had made the right choices, it hadn't been easy at all, but guilt still washed over him. His emotions were drained, he felt even more tired than that morning, more fatigued than ever before. He allowed her to guide him inside where Bill, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the kitchen table having tea. He handed the blanket back to Fleur. "It is okay if I go upstairs to bed?" he asked them as exhaustion overtook him.

"Of course, 'Arry. The rooms are all ready for you." Fleur answered.

He started up the stairs and turned back, "Hermione?" he asked, wearily, "do you still have my clothes in that bag of yours?"

"Oh, sure, Harry. Just a minute." She took the beaded bag out of a pocket of the sweatshirt she was wearing and put it on the table. "Oh, there's just too much stuff in here!" she exclaimed, pulling out the tent and handing it to Bill.

"Thanks for that, guess we didn't need it after all," she told him, not noticing the incredulous look on his face. "Oh this is silly," she finally said after rummaging through the bag for another few minutes. "Accio, Harry's clothes."

Several wads of crumpled up fabric flew from the bag. Harry was able to catch his jeans, but the rest soared over his head and into the sink. Ron went over to them and scrunched up his nose. "Probably should leave them there, mate. Smell a bit like dragon dung."

"Great," Harry said resignedly, sniffing the jeans with revulsion. "I'll just sleep in these again. Don't know what I'm going to do about tomorrow, though. Probably should do some shopping," he shrugged and headed back upstairs, followed quickly by Fleur.

"I will get you something of Beels to change ento," she told him. "Be right back."

After washing up and changing into the pajamas that Fleur had brought and resized for him, he settled into the twin bed next to the window and fell fast asleep. The roar of the waves fortunately blocking out any nightmares his traumatized brain was trying to conjure.

He awoke to the delicious smell of frying bacon. His stomach rumbled as he stretched and he noticed that although the other bed had been disturbed, it was now unoccupied. 'Ron would never have missed breakfast,' he thought smiling to himself, as he got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The door to the other guest room was open and Harry could tell that Hermione was also already up, he vaguely wondered what time it was but didn't really care. Kingsley had asked them to be in around noon for a meeting with the Goblins about Gringotts, he was sure he had plenty of time.

A knock on the bathroom door interrupted his long hot shower. "Harry, if you want breakfast, you need to hurry it up a bit," Bill's voice floated in "It's nearly eleven."

After quickly drying, he donned the sweats he had wore the day before and padded downstairs. Ron and Hermione were still at the table, nursing cups of tea and perusing the Daily Prophet, who's headline blasted 'Death Eaters Defeated!'.

He briefly saw his name just underneath and what looked like his photograph as Hermione put the paper down and went to the stove. "We were just about to wake you but then we heard the shower," she told him. "We didn't think you would take so long though. Fleur should be back soon with your clothes and Bill's got to be at the ministry at eleven so eat up, Harry."

She hadn't needed to tell him the last part, as his mouth was already full of eggs. He swallowed quickly, "what do you mean, where's Fleur?"

"She went to Paree to go shopping," Bill said as he entered the kitchen , tying his tie and looking a bit frazzled. "Should have been back by now, though, she left two hours ago," he stated, checking the clock on the wall. "Hey that looks good on you Ron," Bill told his brother taking in the shirt he was wearing.

"She went shopping in Paris?" Harry asked incredulously. "Er, why?"

"Only the best for the 'Savior of the World!' Ron said, pointing to the newspaper.

"But, I…"

"Don't worry about it, Harry. My wife's been looking for an excuse to shop back home for months!" Bill laughed. "Ah, here she is now," he added opening the kitchen door for her.

Her hair windswept and her face aglow, Fleur looked every part the beautiful veela. The fact that she was holding five shopping bags filled to the brim didn't diminish the look at all in Ron's eyes. Harry, however quickly got up to help her and stammered, "Those aren't all for me, are they?"

"Ov course, not, 'Arry!" I had to pick up a few theengs for Beel too," she laughed, kissing her husband on the lips. "Ve don't want heem to be jealous, non?"

"Non, er, no, " Harry blushed as Fleur started pulling clothes from the bags.

" I 'ope the size is right, " she said while handing him two pairs of trousers, one black and one charcoal gray. "We don't 'ave much time to feex them," she added piling three shirts on top and looking at Hermione.

"Oh, Fleur that looks so nice! That green shirt will really look great on him! and that jacket is gorgeous!"

"Yes, eesn't it? I got one for Beel too, in brown. But black is good for 'Arry to wear for the funerals, non?"

Harry grabbed the clothes off the table and tripped out of the kitchen, mumbling his thanks along the way. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed, any other man would probably love a veela fawning over him. In fact, Ron was practically drooling on the other side of the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione give him a slap on his arm and Ron came back to his senses.

As it turned out, not only did the clothes fit but they actually looked quite good. The mirror in the bedroom even thought so ("Now don't we look handsome, dear") as Harry checked out the gray pants and green polo shirt. Ron and Bill were both wearing long sleeved button downs and ties but Harry opted for comfort and Hermione agreed saying that it looked so nice on him no one would notice his lack of formality That left Ron grumbling as to why he had to wear a tie, even as Hermione tried unsuccessfully to straighten it for him.

They finally disapparated to the ministry just before noon, about a half an hour after Bill. The guard at the entrance was prepared for them this time and waved them through. Workers in the atrium all stopped cleaning up the rubble and stared as they passed through. Harry was quite happy to be in the elevator alone, just the three of them. "I'm already getting tired of the attention," he groaned.

"Really, Harry, you are going to have to get use to it." Hermione said practically. "At least its positive attention, now"

"Yeah, mate, look on the bright side, at least they don't think you're a delusional madman anymore!" Ron grinned. Hermione slapped him again. "What?" he asked, clueless.

A short while later, the three of them were sitting in a large conference room with the minister, his advisors, and various other important looking wizards. Harry was beginning to regret his decision to dress for comfort as the others around the table all seemed to be trying very hard to impress everyone else. Even Ron had straightened not only his tie, but he seemed to be sitting a lot more erect than usual, while Hermione was a picture of proper decorum, with her hands folded on the table in front of her absorbing the proceedings like a sponge. Harry, on the other hand had lost all interest once the conversation had turned to wizarding economics.

It turned out that Harry was not the only one who was losing patience with the proceedings. "I realize that our economy has been in need of modernization for some time, " Kingsley cut across the gray haired wizard who was monopolizing the conversation, "but if we don't placate the Goblins now, we will have an even harder time making those changes in the future. If you could, Andrew, please draft a paper on where our economy should be in five or ten years time with suggestions on how best to achieve those goals for me. Now, Bill, Arthur, Florence and Ben, please meet me in my office in ten minutes time. You three", he nodded to Harry, Ron and Hermione, "I'd like a private word. Everyone else should be brainstorming how best to stabilize our economy assuming we work things out with Gringotts today." That dismissal left them alone with Kingsley in the large room.

"I'm sorry that got a little technical," the Minister smiled, "I don't understand a lot of it myself, but Andrew Harkiss is an expert on financial affairs and his opinions have been ignored for far too long. Probably because, as you heard, he feels very strongly that our economy should be more compatible with the rest of the world. As that included the Muggle world, he's been ostracized by the previous administrations for a long time." He turned to Harry and smiled, "I'm sure you know how that feels."

"Now, what I'd like you to do for me is to explain to our Goblin friends why breaking into their bank was completely necessary and, of course apologize to the moon and back." Harry stared at him. "We need their full cooperation, Harry."

"I'm not going to lie to them, they let the Death Eaters take control of the bank…"

"Yes, they did. Of course they will say they were coerced, etcetera. But I'm sure you can understand their point of view. Just like most wizards, they were just trying to survive."

"Not everyone sold out," Ron said

"No, but not everyone is as brave or as foolish as us. There really was limited information to go on. Self preservation usually takes over in these kind of situations. Not everyone thought the Death Eaters were wrong, even though they may not have liked their methods. That doesn't mean they are bad people, or Goblins, only that they didn't have all the information or understood all the consequences."

Harry nodded, "Ok, I see what you mean. I will try to be diplomatic. You guys alright with this?" he asked turning to Ron and Hermione.

"Yes, of course we need to be careful," Hermione said. "One wrong word and there could be another Goblin rebellion. On top of Voldemort, that would be almost fatal to that magical world."

Ron stared at her and shook his head. "I guess I'll just follow your lead then."

When they arrived at the Minster's office, Arthur Weasley met them outside. "They're all inside," he said to Kingsley. "Brought quite a contingent," he added almost warningly.

Harry felt decidedly uncomfortable as he entered the room. All eyes, goblin and wizard alike focused on him, despite the fact that he was with the Minister of Magic. One goblin even stared down his long nose at Harry even after they all sat and Kingsley started speaking. Both he and the other Goblin next to him seemed wary and even a little suspicious, as they sized Harry up and down, while ignoring what the Minister was saying. The wizard they had brought with them sat stiffly and alertly, seemingly on guard for any sign from the Goblins. He had smirked when Bill was introduced and Harry got the impression that there was some kind of history between them.

Before any real business began, Harry was aware of two things. First, the lead Goblin, Ersk was as new at his position as Kingsley was, having just taken over for Ragnook in some kind of Goblin coup. Secondly, the new leader did not seem all that well respected by the others in his group, who all seemed to be much older. It wasn't long before Harry realized that despite that, Ersk was definitely the one in charge, as he wasted no time in chastising his associates in firm Gobbledegook as soon as they started arguing about the need for the meeting in the first place.

Kingsley took that as a sign to start the discussions in earnest, but the Goblin held up his long fingered hand, "One question first, please."

"Mr. Potter," Harry cringed slightly at the haughty look on Ersk's face. "Please explain why you did not believe the cup you stole was not safe in the most secure of Gringotts vaults. If , as you stated, you already had possession of one of the objects, the rest should not have been needed to be disturbed."

Harry knew the cover story would be questioned at some point, but hadn't expected it from a Goblin- or so soon. He hadn't even given the complete explanation to Kingsley yet and didn't intend to do it now. He opted for honesty without all the facts; just like Dumbledore.

"Director Ersk, as you have so astutely deduced, there is a bit more to the story. As you are aware, Lord Voldemort was a very powerful dark wizard. He had many dangerous secrets. It would not be prudent to go into too much detail about them at this time- if ever. The objects needed to be destroyed in a certain manner so they could never be used. Mere possession of them was not sufficient to stop Voldemort's power over them."

Harry looked to Kingsley, who nodded his approval of the answer, and to Ersk, who still seemed unconvinced. "It was best not to allow any other dark wizards a chance to use them in the future." He looked the lead Goblin straight in the eyes, " I'm sure even Goblins would not want that possibility to exist."

"I'm sure no one in this room wishes to see that happen," Kingsley spoke up turning toward the Goblins, "Perhaps, we can move on to the other matters and address these concerns at a later time?"

The Goblins all started to protest at once, but again Ersk silenced them. "Very well. Mr. Potter, you will inform me privately of the facts in due course?"

Harry looked to Kingsley, who nodded. "Yes, Director Ersk."

Ersk smiled and nodded. The look was not encouraging, though, and Harry knew there was more coming. "There is one other matter that disturbs us greatly," the Goblin leader said forebodingly. "You reneged on an agreement with a Goblin. That is unacceptable!"

Harry thought hard. "Griphook?"

"Yes . Did you not enter into an agreement for Griphook's help?"

"Yes. Yes, I did. But it was Griphook who reneged on that agreement." The Goblins sneered and harrumphed, while Ron started to shout something and Bill shook his head warningly.

"The agreement was that, in exchange for his assistance in retrieving the cup, I would give Griphook the sword of Gryffindor. When we were done using it."

It was now the ministry wizards who were shocked, but Harry went on. "We were not finished using it. Griphook's actions almost made getting the cup worthless."

"Perhaps you can explain that one, Potter? Or is that also top secret?" The Goblin's wizard representative asked spitefully.

"It does tie into all of that," Harry sighed, annoyed. "But I will try to explain. The sword was needed to destroy the power of the cup."

"A power you will not explain." Ersk said shrewdly.

"I'm afraid you'll have to take my word on that for now."

"For now." Ersk said haltingly. "Do you believe you entered into this agreement in good faith?"

"Yes."

"Even though the sword was not yours to give?"

"Yes."

Ersk stared at Harry in disbelief, as did almost everyone else. "The sword presents itself to a worthy Gryffindor, in a time of need." Harry explained. "Five years ago the sword presented itself to me." Harry saw Mr. Weasley flinch, but took a deep breath and continued. "I left it at Hogwarts for its safety and when Albus Dumbledore died he left it to me in his will, to emphasize the fact that it belonged to me."

Ersk seemed impressed but pressed on. "But the sword changed possession just one day later."

Harry could not help but smile at Neville's bravery. "Yes, yes, it did. But prior to that it had had not changed hands in hundreds of years, as far as I know." Hermione nodded. "So, yes. I acted in good faith."

"So it is your assertion that the Goblin Griphook did not keep his end of the agreement?" one of the other Goblins sneered.

"Yes."

"I suppose you would like him punished according to 'The Treaty of Dublin'?"

"Er, I'm not sure what that means. Griphook made a mistake in the heat of the moment. It all worked out in the end, as far as I'm concern its over and forgotten."

"You do not wish to see him punished?" Ersk asked. Harry shook his head. "You are a very unusual wizard, Harry Potter."

The conversation turned to the stolen dragon and repairs of the bank. The Goblins agreed to reopen the bank with restrictions until repairs were completed While glad that he would be allowed access to his vault as soon as possible, when the meeting was over hours later, Harry felt like he had been through another whole battle. He was tired and hungry and just wanted some peace and quiet. After telling Mr. Weasley that he was going home, Harry disapparated to Grimauld Place.


	6. Number 12

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 6**

_Number 12_

It wasn't long after he had landed on the front steps of number 12 Grimmauld Place that Harry began to realize that it might not be such a good idea after all. He was pretty sure Kreacher had told him that he would get the house ready for his Master, but the conversation after the battle was now a little fuzzy in his head. The elf may not have even been able to return to the house after Death Eaters had been inside. Well, he was here now. Harry took out his wand and unlocked the door, carefully pushed it open and stepped inside.

After a quick detection charm revealed no spells that he could tell, he moved forward into the entry hall and looked around warily. Surprisingly, the place appeared unchanged from the way they had left it in September. In fact it seemed better, even, clean and bright with the delicious smell bread baking wafting from the basement kitchen.

Harry sniffed, his stomach growled and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled as he walked down the hall past the stairs. Suddenly he found himself suspended upside down from the ceiling and unable to move a muscle, his wand clattering uselessly to the polished wood floor. All sorts of horrible thoughts ran amuck through his mind, the oddest of which was the irony of having just defeated Voldemort only to die embarrassingly of starvation in his own home, tortured by the sweet smells of food only feet away.

He could hear the pounding of dozens of footsteps approaching him from above. He took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Panic was not becoming of a hero, he mused dismally. His glasses had slid up to his forehead- or down as the case may be and the large round eyes that he now was peering into looked odd and blurry to him. He could practically feel his brain trying to process exactly what they were when a cacophony of sound hit his ears.

"It is the Master!" "Oh, Harry Potter, sir!" "Master Harry Potter!"

"Master! You should have called Kreacher!"

Harry felt himself lowered to the floor and released as the elf apologized profusely. Above him, on the first floor landing, what appeared to be an army of house elves were all chattering at once, both to him and between themselves and Harry had to shake his head to clear it.

"Er, Kreacher, what's going on?" he asked, marveling at how stupid he must have sounded- and looked for that matter.

The elf cocked his head, "we is cleaning , Master."

That much was clear, as the elves on the stairs carried mops and rags, buckets and brooms. "Was it really bad?" he asked tentatively. "Did Yaxley do a lot of damage?"

The elves all nodded, a combination of disgust and pride on their faces. "He did not treat the house of Black with the respect it deserves, Master Harry," Kreacher said simply, although the vindictive look on his face made Harry glad he was now on Kreacher's good side. "But we has it all fixed now. We left the one spell to tell us if someone entered while we was busy."

"That was the only jinx, then?"

"Yes, Master. We is getting rid of all the others." Harry didn't want to know about the others. The one had been more than enough for him to deal with..

"Well, I really don't know how to thank you all." He held up his hands at the elves protests that his gratitude was unnecessary. "Really, after everything you all did at Hogwarts… and now this?" He gestured around the foyer, "I really, really appreciate it."

"We is almost done Harry Potter, sir and then we will be out of your way,." One of the elves said from the door to the kitchen. "We have made food for the great Master Potter," she added proudly.

"That smells great, " Harry smiled. "is there enough for all of us?"

"All, Master? Is your friends coming home too?" Kreacher asked.

"Er, not that I know of. No, I meant all of the house elves here." A gasp went up amongst the small creatures and again much chattering broke out. Harry grinned. "Actually, yeah, I'M going to serve all of you dinner! It's the least I can do for all the hard work you've done for me." He told them as he headed

for the kitchen door.

"Lets see what we can put together, here," he said to the nearest elf. "Kreacher, can you show me where everything is, downstairs?" Kreacher puffed out his chest and followed his master downstairs, leaving the rest of his comrades to finish up the cleaning, unsure of whether they were allowed to have a wizard serve them a meal.

Kreacher was able to convince them that they should follow Master Harry Potter's orders and they all sat down at the large kitchen table to a supper of soup and bread. Harry had set the table with the Black's best china and goblets, at least what was left of them and the elves were just starting to relax a little and eat when a commotion was heard from upstairs. Some of the elves ducked under the table, others vanished completely from the kitchen, afraid they would be caught taking wizard food. Harry pulled his wand and quietly edged up the steps.

"Harry?" he heard a familiar voice call. "Are you here? Argggh…"

Kreacher had reached the entry first and now had Arthur Weasley on the floor holding a large pan over his head in a threatening manner and screaming "you will not hurt my Master!"

"Its okay Kreacher. Let him up."

Arthur got slowly to his feet, looking dazed and more than a little confused. Behind him Ron and Hermione were trying to hold in their laughter.

"Told you to wait for us dad," Ron grinned.

"You said there had been Death eaters in here, and with Moody's spells…. I wanted to make sure the house was safe," Arthur explained. "I guess it is then?" he asked Harry.

"Yes, Kreacher and his friends took care of it. They did a great job!" Harry told them. "What are you doing here? Not that you aren't always welcome, but, er, I wasn't expecting anyone to follow me."

Hermione shook her head, rolling her eyes. "You only said you were going home, Harry. You weren't at Bills, you weren't at the Burrow…"

"We were quite worried, Harry," Arthur continued. "Molly's beside herself. Ron said you probably meant 'home' here but she didn't believe him. And Hermione had said that Yaxley had gotten in and well…There are still some Death eaters on the loose, Harry. You need to still be careful."

"Yes, I know that. I guess I should have realized that I can't just take off like that, old habit," he smiled. "I'm sorry I worried you, but everything's fine here. In fact you can join us for supper if you'd like"

"Well, if everything is okay, then." Arthur said, "I'd better get back to Molly at Muriel's so she doesn't call in the Aurors." He turned to his son, "you two can stay here if you want, I don't know when we will be able to go back to the Burrow."

"Tell mum we'll stay here for a while," Ron said. "Let me know if Bill and Charlie need help with the house." Harry looked at him curiously. "The Burrow," Ron responded, "we're not sure what condition its in. My brothers went to check it out."

Harry sighed. "You can always stay here if you need to Mr. Weasley. My house is your house…"

Arthur smiled. "Thank you, Harry. The reverse is true as well, you know." Harry beamed back and nodded. "Well, I'll see you later then, Ronald. Do try not to be too late, I don't think your mother's nerves can handle any more right now." And with that he went outside and disapparated.

"Something smells good!' Ron exclaimed.

"You just ate, Ron!"

"So?"

"I have some guests down in the kitchen, why don't you join us. You'll like this Hermione," Harry added brightly.

Kreacher had gotten all the elves to sit back down at the table, and they all looked up as Harry, Ron and Hermione came into the kitchen. Hermione's eyes widened and she hugged Harry and Ron laughed. "Overkill, again, mate."

By the time all the elves had gone back to Hogwarts and they had cleaned up the kitchen, the three friends were exhausted. "Its been another long day, hasn't it?" Ron asked. "Do you think things will ever get back to normal?"

Harry frowned, "no. And I don't want them to get back to 'normal', not like they were anyway," he added thoughtfully.

"True," Hermione responded. "We fought so things could be better. And they will be. Actually, I think they are already. That was really nice, Harry, what you did for the house elves."

"They did a lot for me, Hermione. I didn't ask them to repair and clean my whole house. I had to repay them somehow."

"And they'll go back to Hogwarts and tell all the others so they'll all know that things really have changed for the better" Hermione said.

"Or at least that the great Harry Potter really is a nutter!" Ron laughed, heading for the door. "I'd better be getting back to Mum. Are you coming , Hermione?"

"I think I'll stay here tonight, Ron," she told him looking to Harry, who nodded his okay. "I think you should be with your family now, Ron. We'll get some things done tomorrow and join you for dinner. How does that sound?"

Ron looked a bit disappointed but agreed none-the-less and said his goodbyes. "That was the right thing to do, Hermione," Harry told her drawing her into a hug. Hermione just held on and cried, finally letting her emotions take over.

The two talked for a few hours about Hermione's parents and the Weasleys. Harry asked Hermione for advice about Ginny, and they talked about normal teenage things for a change. They decided to do some shopping the next day at the mall near Hermione's house. They would check on things there and pick up some money that she had hidden for an emergency. Harry desperately needed new glasses and Hermione some clothes. Although she still had some things at her parents' house, she had lost a bit of weight and doubted anything would fit right, and she certainly had nothing appropriate for a funeral. They went to bed actually excited about their outing the next day, feeling positive about the future for the first time in years.

Harry awoke to another bright sunny day and stretched. It was only about nine o'clock but he had slept remarkably well. Kreacher had breakfast ready by the time he washed up and changed and he was just digging in to French toast when the doorbell rang.

"Nice and quiet here, isn't it?" Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice asked as he entered the kitchen. "What happened to the old lady?"

Harry stood and greeted the Minister. "If you mean Mrs. Black, Kreacher moved her portrait to the attic. What brings you here, sir? I thought you said the Ministry would be closed today?"

Kingsley laughed, " The building may not be open but the Ministers never off duty, Harry! Arthur told me I'd find you here. I'm glad I didn't wake you, I just thought it would be a good time to talk."

Harry nodded and motioned to the table. "Breakfast?"

"Sounds like a plan." Shacklebolt said as he poured some tea and Kreacher served him some food. "I think I really need to know what you did this last year, Harry. I need to make sure we have everything under control. I don't want any nasty surprises coming up that destabilize what we are working toward."

Harry pushed his plate away and took a deep breath and started to talk, haltingly at first, but then the story just flew out. To his credit, Kingsley only flinched a couple of times. The recount of the attack at Bathilda Bagshot's house brought a shocked whistle and his excursion into the forest led to tears in the big man's eyes. Harry was so involved in retelling their activities of the previous few months that he hadn't noticed Hermione sitting on the steps with tears streaming down her face until he finally looked up at the end.

"You okay?" he asked. Both Hermione and Kingsley answered 'yeah'. Kingsley turned to the stairs, Harry wasn't the only one who hadn't noticed she was there.

"Why don't you join us, Hermione?"

She sat down at the table and wiped her face with a napkin. "It seems so unreal, now. Except that I know I was there. I still can see you lying there, Harry. I thought you were dead! The snake bite was so bad and the burn from the locket… Ron had left and I didn't know what to do!" She was crying again, now, "I didn't know who to call, I mean, I did everything I could think of… and then… and then the two of you put almost get yourselves killed again! You came back soaking wet and he… he didn't even seem to care that he had left… I was just so angry with the two of you!"

Harry hugged her, "I know, I know. But it turned out okay, didn't it?"

"Oh-boys! Sorry, Minister. I didn't mean you."

"No offense taken, Hermione. Teenage boys are notoriously clueless."

"Hey!" Harry said. "Although I have to admit we were sometimes. If it weren't for Hermione…"

"Yes, she does seem to have been the brains behind the operation." Kingsley commented. "Which is one of the reasons why I'm here, actually. I wanted to ask you to join the ministry. Both of you," he added seeing Hermione look to Harry.

"Er, what do you mean?"

"Well, obviously you would all make fantastic Aurors…"

"But we don't have our NEWTs!" Hermione stated.

"Well, seeing as Hogwarts has been overrun by Death eaters for the last year or two.. We will need a different criteria for qualification at the moment."

"Really?" Harry asked, "you'll let me become an Auror without my NEWTs?"

"You, Harry? We'd probably let you become an Auror without an education at all," Kingsley told him. "You've done more Auror work in the last seven years than any of the real Aurors! Ron and Hermione, too," he added.

"Really?" Hermione stuttered. "Well, I' m not completely sure I want to be an Auror, maybe something with magical creatures…

The Minister smiled,. "Whatever job you want, Hermione. I am sure you are more than qualified."

"I'm not, yet. I really wanted to do well in my NEWTs."

"So you want to go back to Hogwarts?"

"Can I?"

"We are definitely considering allowing students that missed this year to return." Shacklebolt told her.

Hermione grinned. Harry knew that that was what she would probably want to do. He had watched the exchange like a tennis match, back and forth…. But there was always the Ron factor, he laughed.

"What?"

"Er, nothing. I was just wondering if Ron would go back."

"Not as of this morning," Kingsley said. "I went to the Burrow first thing. They're all fine," he added seeing the curious looks he was getting. "They were able to repair the house and move back in late last night. Ginny said something about not being able to stand one more minute of Aunt Muriel." Hermione laughed, she had only met the woman a few times, but knew exactly what her friend meant.

"I'm sure they're all glad to be home," she said wistfully turning to Harry. "I'd really like to go home today, too. Make sure everything is all right."

Harry nodded, "That's fine by me. I've never seen your house. What about your parents?"

"That's a good question, Hermione," Kingsley said. "Arthur told me that you sent them to Australia?"

"Yes."

"The Order would have been happy to help protect them, you know."

"Yes, I know. But things were so confused at the time. Everyone was trying to figure out how to get Harry out of the Dursleys and I really didn't have much contact with anyone but Ron, anyway. I just needed to be certain they were safe. I couldn't take any chances."

Kingsley looked at the young woman sympathetically. He had never seen her so emotional as she was this morning, she was usually very clear headed and organized. "If you need any help bringing them home, Hermione, the full resources of the Ministry are available to you."

Hermione smiled and gave the Minister a hug. "Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me."

Shacklebolt smiled back, "We owe all three of you more than we'll ever be able to repay," he told them, taking two envelopes from his pocket and pushing them towards the two teens. "This should help get you back on your feet." Harry looked into the envelope curiously and gasped. There must have been at least 20 one hundred Pound notes.

"What is this for?" he asked the Minister. "You don't need…"

Kingsley put up his hand. "Yes, we do, Harry. You three were the only real Aurors that we had for almost a year. Well, the Order members, too. But Dumbledore took care of us." Harry cocked his head in confusion. "He had a separate fund for the Order," Kinsley explained. "It paid for housing and food and supplies and the like. Minerva was in charge of it, so it wasn't ever really linked to Dumbledore himself, but he funded it from his personal resources. Beside the point, however. This is compensation for one months back pay. The rest will be paid, in Galleons, of course, as soon as the Ministry's finances are secured. If you decide to work for the Ministry, and I hope you will, you will receive credit for the last year towards holidays and time off. We are trying to find a way to stop payments for the Death Eaters who worked there, but, I'm afraid that might not be possible," Shacklebolt shrugged and shook his head, "ludicrous."

"Thank you, Minister", Hermione said earnestly. "This is really unexpected."

"And really helpful," Harry added. "We are definitely going shopping later, I don't even know whose shoes I'm wearing at the moment!"

"I will suggest that you stick to Muggle stores," Shacklebolt advised. "Well, the money of course, but it would be much safer as well. There are still a couple of Death Eater supporters out there but even meeting up with some your fans might be a bit dicey," Kingsley grinned, "Some of your post has been quite, shall we say, fanatical."

"Fanatical?"

"Hmm. Especially from the women. The secretaries that are going through it were getting a bit flustered yesterday."

"I have secretaries going through my post?"

"Of course, Harry. You'd be inundated with owls otherwise. Not to mention the security factor-never know what some nutter will try to send you. We've already found three portkeys, several hexes and more than a few dry potions."

Harry swallowed hard. "Portkeys?"

"One went to some witches bedroom," the Minister laughed, "but the others were a tad more ominous. We are still investigating them. In the meantime, BE CAREFUL!"

"We will, Minister," Hermione assured him. "If there is anything suspicious at my parent's house, we won't go in."

"I appreciate that, Hermione. Just go to the Burrow and get some help, that's all. Okay?" Kingsley said as he got up to leave. "have fun, you two. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Fun?" the two teenagers looked at each other, bewildered.

"Yes, fun. Teenagers in a mall on a Sunday afternoon. Isn't that suppose to be fun?" Shacklebolt laughed and headed for the door. "Oh, by the way, Harry, Dedalus brought your relatives back home yesterday. The house was in a bit of a sorry shape, but we sent in a repair crew before they got back. Everything should be back to normal there now."

Harry grinned. That was exactly the way the Dursleys like things. Normal.


	7. Privet Parts

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 7**

_Privet Parts_

Hermione apparated them to a standing of trees at the end of a quiet street. "Where are we?" Harry asked as they walked down the block of well manicured lawns.

"Haslingfield. Just south of Cambridge. My house is just down this street," she told him as they turned the corner into a small lane. The houses were fairly large and separated by even larger gardens, whose trees were just starting to green and whose flowers were beginning to bloom. It looked like a nice place to Harry, not nearly as boring as Little Whinging, but far more formal than the Burrow. Somehow it seemed to fit Hermione well, and the house whose path they turned up brought a smile to Harry's face.

"What?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "It just seems so er, you," he told her as he walked toward the welcoming front door set in an unimposing weathered brick façade. The red door was framed by white shutters, as were the large windows on either side. "Even a Gryffindor door!" he chuckled.

"Stop joking and start checking for spells," she admonished, sounding quite nervous.

"Relax, Hermione. It seems fine," he said as he performed the few detection spells that he knew. "Besides, didn't you put wards on the place?"

"No, just anti-apparition. I didn't want to make it obvious that there was anyone magical living here." Harry was impressed, he wouldn't have thought of that. But then, this was Hermione, of course she would consider every possibility.

Hermione pushed the code to the alarm system and they went inside. The rooms were simply, yet elegantly furnished in muted neutral tones. There was a white sofa in the lounge that Harry knew wouldn't have lasted a day at the Dursleys, and a large geometric painting over the fireplace. Aunt Petunia would have hated it, but Harry thought it was quite interesting, the way the colors all swirled into each other. He followed Hermione into the bright, modern kitchen that was connected to another sitting room and then down a small hall where she opened a door that led to the garage. So far, so good, apparently.

Hermione started to calm down as they went up the curved staircase to the bedrooms. There were only three, but they were easily each twice the size as those at the Dursleys. Harry was able to pick out Hermione's room right away. It was the one with the large padded window seat with the overflowing bookcases on either side, the unadorned white canopy bed with the scarlet and gold duvet. Satisfied that everything was fine in the other rooms, she joined Harry in her room and sat on the bed.

"Nice place," he told her. "Do you think you have enough books?"

She laughed and punched him on the arm. "No, no there are still some out there that I don't have. They are always publishing new ones, you know. I really miss them."

"What new books?"

"No, idiot! My parents! Being here, it just seems so empty, so lifeless without them."

Harry put his arm around her. "They'll be home soon. Just a little longer. Next week's going to be too busy for anything else anyway. Once you can go get them, you'll be able to spend the rest of the summer home. You'll probably be sick of each other by July," he joked.

"I haven't been home for the whole summer in ages," she said smiling wistfully. "You're probably right, though."

Once they locked the house back up, they apparated to a mall in nearby Cambridge. Unfortunately the best spot Hermione knew of was the ladies room. It was a good thing Harry had brought his cloak, as there was, as usual, a line at the door. They did need a slight confundus charm on the woman in the large stall they had popped into, however. It was fortunate that she didn't scream.

"Next time," Harry said from behind a pillar as he pulled off the cloak, "try the men's room, there's never anybody in there. Where to first?"

"Vision Express. We might have to wait for your glasses."

"Good idea," he said as they walked toward the shop. It wasn't too crowded and he was able to see the optometrist right away. Both the doctor and the girl behind the counter tried to talk him into contact lenses, but it was Hermione who convinced him. "You could wear sunglasses and be incognito," she laughed, "keep all those fans of yours away!" The lenses were comfortable as soon as he put them in and to top it off he could really see a lot better, although that could have been the new prescription. His vision had changed a lot since he was eleven. He ordered new frames that they could pick up later and they left to do some shopping. Harry was actually fairly excited to buy new clothes, it would be the first time he ever really bought himself anything besides socks..

After browsing in several smaller stores and picking up a few things, they decided to go to Debenhams for Harry's suit. Along with the black leather sport jacket and dress pants Fleur had gotten him, he needed at least one suit to wear to the many funerals. He had supposed a school uniform would do for the students, but he didn't have one. Nor did he have much else. By the time they went to pick up Harry's glasses, they had spent almost all the money Kingsley had given them and had had to magically lighten their packages several times to carry them all.

Harry and Hermione each dropped their purchases off at their respective homes and agreed to meet back at The Burrow in two hours time. Harry decided put his past behind him on move on with his life. He apparated to the park in Little Whinging and started to walk toward Privet Drive. The route was as familiar to him as the back of his hand, and almost as scarred with painful memories. Bullies and Dementors, loneliness and solitude all marked his path. He turned down Magnolia Crescent and stopped in front of Mrs. Figg's house.

It wasn't there. Where her house once stood was now a cleared lot. A 'For Sale' sign was the only thing on it. Harry just stood and stared, wondering what had happened and where she was now. And why hadn't anyone told him. He didn't want to think of the possibilities, but they ran through his mind anyway. Was that where the Death Eaters had staged before attacking his rescue party? In that case she must be dead. What happened to all her cats? Why is her house completely gone? He wanted answers; but yet he didn't really want to know. He just stood there in shock until the laughter from a group of young skateboarders pulled him from his thoughts.

Harry took a deep breath and wiped a tear from his eye. 'Best just get this over with' he thought and continued walking toward Privet Drive. He almost chickened out again as he rounded the corner, but convinced himself that a true Gryffindor would bravely plod on. He slowly stepped up to the door of number four and rang the bell.

"Who's that disturbing our first dinner home?" he heard Vernon roar from inside.

"Probably one of Dudder's friends welcoming him home. They must have missed him so." Aunt Petunia simpered.

"I'll get it Dad. Don't bother yourself," came a deep authoritative voice that Harry barely recognized. The person that answered the door was even less recognizable. Tall, thin but muscular, the long haired blond stranger suddenly had Harry in a death grip. "I can't believe you came! I was so worried. I mean they said you were alright, but.. Wow. You look great, Harry! Nice glasses."

"Dudley?..."

"Shh. Come in. Just go right upstairs," Dudley told him. "You're right mum! It's for me. We'll just be in my room. I'm not really hungry anymore," he shouted toward the kitchen door.

Harry plopped down on Dudley's bed. The room was fairly bare but he did notice some personal touches and oddly, a framed photograph of him. "Isn't that, like, illegal in this house?" he asked pointing to the picture.

His cousin laughed. "Don't care. I'm out of here as soon as I'm eighteen. Berks!"

"Who are you and what have you done with Dudley?"

"Dee. Dudley is such a wimp name," he laughed. "No really, I am your cousin, Dudley Dursley. I've just grown up a bit, And so have you," he added.

"And you're not under a confundus spell? Personality jinx? Took polyjuice potion?"

"No, but I wish I knew how to make a calming draught. Things would be a lot quieter around here!" Dudley laughed. "Every morning in his coffee! It was a godsend!" Harry raised his eyebrows questioningly. "You don't want to know," Dudley said.

"Actually, I do. You seem good, Big D. I take it everything went okay?"

Dudley nodded. "It was scary at first. We hadn't gone too far when we realized that you were in trouble. We could see the lights in the sky and well, Mrs. Figg's house burning with that snake mark above it."

"The Dark Mark? Do you know what happened?"

"Apparently the Death Eaters had put some kind of spell on her and took over the house and waited for you to leave. Then they killed her and set the place on fire." Dudley shrugged, "typical death Eater stuff."

"Typical?"

"I heard a lot, Harry. Fortunately didn't see too much of it, but we heard all the news. Well, I did. Mom and Dad," Dudley shook his head, "they didn't want to know anything except when they could go home. Dedalus and Hestia, they were running a bit of a safe house. People would come and go trying to escape the war. We'd help them get to friends or relatives or out of the country. Every one had a different horror story. And every one was so sure Harry Potter would eventually save them. I was really scared for you. And really proud."

"Gee, thanks, Dudley."

"I can't imagine what you went through. I heard about the battle at the school, of course. Hestia was so excited when she came back in the morning! Poor Colin, though. And Dennis. They were such nice guys, I can't imagine how Dennis must feel." Dudley shook his head "we should have been like that. Like brothers. I'm sorry, Harry. I really am. I didn't know any better then."

"Its okay Dudley. It's all in the past now. You met Colin? He was a great kid, always had his camera," Harry smiled sadly and picked up the photograph of himself. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his cousin nod. Colin had given him the picture. "Listen, Dud," Harry choked out, "I, er I'd really like to stay and talk but the Weasleys are expecting me. They'll worry if I'm too late. Can we get together in a few weeks? Have a pint at the pub or something?"

"I'd really like that, Harry. We have a lot to talk about, still." The boys crossed the hall and Harry opened the door to the smallest bedroom to retrieve his trunk. "There's nothing there," his cousin stated.

"I left my trunk and some clothes," Harry told him as his eyes widened in surprise at the completely empty room. No trunk, no bed, no wardrobe, no Gryffindor banners. Empty. "They cleaned it out, huh?"

"Yeah," Dudley shrugged. "Your room was the only one they really trashed. The rest was just burglarized, probably mates of mine stealing everything that wasn't attached to the walls" Dudley gave a bitter laugh, "some friends, huh?"

"I have to admit, I was never too fond of them," Harry frowned. "I feel so bad…"

"Well, don't. It's not your fault. It's just stuff, anyway. They had insurance, it can all be replaced." Dudley shook his head at his cousins bewildered look. "Like I said, I grew up." They both turned toward the stairs as they heard footsteps and then stared at each other nervously.

Harry took a deep breath, "Hello, Aunt Petunia," he said trying to sound upbeat and polite.

'Harry!" she gasped. "What, what are you doing here?" She narrowed her eyes and looked at her son, "You lied."

"Friend, family, never said…" Dudley started but his mother waved him off.

"Your things are all gone," she said sharply to her nephew, "you have nothing here."

Dudley gaped at her, but Harry had expected nothing less, although he had hoped she would at least be civil. "So much for family," he shrugged. "I just came to say 'good-bye'." Petunia just stared at him, unflinching. "I'll go give Vernon my regards then and I'll be out of your lives." Harry pushed past her and headed for the stairs.

"No. That's not a good idea," Petunia whimpered. "Dudley, please" she begged her son to stop him, but Dudley just followed his cousin down the stairs. The two boys had reached the lounge before Petunia had even started down the staircase. Vernon Dursley looked up from his newspaper at the noise and his now gray moustache twitched violently.

"You! What are you doing in my house?"

"Er, I live here, Dad," Dudley answered cheekily. Harry quickly stifled his laugh. The vein on Vernon's forehead that pulsed when he got angry was now trying to escape from his skin. Trying to defuse the situation, he edged toward his uncle and extend his hand. "I just came to get my stuff and make sure everyone was okay. I'll be leaving now," he said politely.

Vernon refused to shake it. "You cost me my job, boy!"

Harry was taken aback, this wasn't going to be good, but Dudley cut across him, "That isn't Harry's fault, Dad."

"Those Japanese bigwigs bought out the company and fired everyone in Marketing! If I had been there I could have proven myself!"

"You don't know that, Dad. Besides you got a great severance package. We'll be fine."

"You owe me, Boy!"

"Owe you?" Harry was angry now, "Owe you for what? Rent on a cupboard? Sustenance rations? All those fine clothes that Dudley grew out of? I should charge you for all the work I did around here. Get payment for all the abuse!" It wasn't until Dudley put his hand on Harry's shoulder that the young wizard realized his wand was not only in his hand, but sparking. Harry took a few breaths to calm himself, Vernon wasn't worth his time, not after all the abuse and neglect. Turning away he addressed his aunt instead. "One day, when you finally meet back up with Lily ,and you will, trust me, you'll have to explain to her why you treated her son so badly. How you could treat your own flesh and blood- Lily's son, worse than the average dog! If the situation had been reversed she would have taken in Dudley and treated him like her own! But you, you couldn't put aside your jealousy, not even for a little tot!"

Harry paused and turned toward the door. Petunia was weeping, but he didn't much care. "You're the one who has to live with that. I won't bother you ever again. I'll be in touch, Big D," he told his cousin as he walked out the door for the last time. "If you need anything, you know how to get hold of me right?" Dudley nodded and watch as his cousin disappeared into thin air before he slammed the door and turned to his parents.

Harry appeared in a small alleyway just off the high street in the tiny village of Ottery St. Catchpole. He needed to clear his head before going to the Weasleys and wanted to bring something for Mrs. Weasley. 'And Ginny' the mere thought of her broad a smile back to his face. The were only two shops open, a chemists and the grocer. He had been to the grocery before and knew that they sold an assortment of things. He walked into the shop and was immediately cordially greeted by the cashier.

"Can I help you find anything, sir?"

"I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for. Maybe something for pudding?"

The woman smiled, "I've got some fresh local strawberries I need to get rid of. I'd take them home, but I'm allergic."

A sudden vision of him feeding chocolate covered strawberries to a lovely redhead lying on the grass near a pond flashed through his head. He quickly wiped the accompanying sappy grin off his face but not before the woman chuckled. "I've got some fresh cream and tarts to go with them," she told him as he followed her to the dairy case.

Satisfied that at least Ginny would like them (they were her favorite fruit, after all), he picked up a couple of bouquets of wilting flowers from a bin near the register. The cashier smiled knowingly, "No charge for them, young man, they'd only get thrown out in an hour anyway. A little sugar in the water might brighten them up a bit though," she advised. Harry thanked her profusely and walked toward the Burrow, casting a simple refreshment charm on the bouquets as he went.


	8. Mourning

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 8**

_Mourning_

It was about a half hour walk to the Burrow from the village, but Harry hadn't been in Little Whinging that long and needed the distraction anyway. His mind wandered from everything from how beautiful the sky looked to how ugly the scene at the Dursleys had turned. He found himself knocking on the front door of the lopsided house in seemingly no time at all.

The greeting was not what he expected at all. The door was flung open and three red haired men stood menacingly in the opening, wands pointed directly at his face. "Harry!' the shortest and closest one exclaimed as he dropped his wand hand.

"Sorry, son," the eldest apologized, "no one ever uses the front door!"

The tallest and youngest just laughed. "Should have seen your face, mate!" he said as he ushered his best friend into the house.

He handed the bag of fruit to Mr. Weasley and greeted Hermione, who was hovering just behind the three men. "Er," he stuttered pushing one of the bunches of flowers toward her, "thanks for taking me shopping. And, er everything else." She pulled him into a hug and kissed him on the cheek, her eyes welling with tears. "That's so sweet of you, Harry. Really," she quietly replied.

"Hey, don't I get any?" Ron joked.

"Not this time, these are just for the girls," he admonished holding up the remaining two bouquets.

"Good thing Fleur's not here, Harry," Charlie told him, "You'd be one short!"

"You'd know short, wouldn't you Charlie?" Ron joked.

Harry followed Hermione into the kitchen where Ginny was setting the table and Mrs. Weasley was taking the strawberries out of the bag. " Oh, Ginny! Look what Harry brought- Strawberries! Oh, and fresh cream and tarts. Thank you, dear. These look lovely," she said giving him a hug.

"Taste lovely too," Ginny mumbled, her mouth full of red.

"These are for you, Mrs. Weasley," he handed her the flowers. "And Miss Weasley," he bowed to the young girl with a flourish and a grin. The smile soon faded as the blooms never left his hand. Ginny just stood there tears streaming down her face. In a flash she turned on her heel and darted up the stairs. Hermione looked at Harry and shrugged before following to check on her friend.

"Did I do something, wrong?" he asked the room in general.

Ron shrugged, "Who knows, mate?"

"She's just a little emotional right now, dear. Just give her some time," her mother told him. "I guess we all are," she added wiping her eyes with her apron.

"Is there anything I can do?" Harry asked quietly.

"Not unless you can bring Fred back, "Ron responded quieter still

Fred. In the rush of the eventful day, Harry had almost forgotten about Fred. Almost. "Where's George?"

"Up in his room. Why don't you go up and tell him that dinner will be in twenty minutes." Molly suggested. "Tell the girls, too. Ronald, will you finish setting the table please?"

As Harry slowly made his way up the stairs, he pondered what he could say that might be of some help to George. Certainly just telling him that dinner was in a few minutes wasn't really what Molly had sent him to do. He knew exactly what he would want to hear in this situation, he'd been through it himself, of course. More than once, although it wasn't quite the same as losing a twin. Then again, he had learned that no two losses were quite the same. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"C'min."

"Hey, George." He was sitting in the chair, his feet up on the desk, gazing out the window. He didn't turn around as Harry entered and sat down on the unmade bed, pushing aside a tray of untouched food.

"Well, all hail the conquering hero!" George declared with no trace of the humor that should have been behind it.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to take the mickey out of me. Fred would be sorely disappointed."

George turned around, "You dare say the name?"

"Yes, I dare." Harry was oddly reminded of Bellatrix LeStrange, he shook it off. "Nobody ever wanted to mention Sirius to me, I hated that."

"I know. We were guilty of that ourselves. Sorry. I guess nobody wants to remind you of it. But its like he didn't even exist, you know, like…" George couldn't go on.

"Those who love us never truly leave us. Sirius told me that. He was right you know."

George snorted. "What makes you so sure of that?"

"I died." Harry had his friend's full attention now and from the look on George's face he knew that he believed him. "Listen, George, promise me you won't let this leave this room. I don't want to wind up as a specimen in the Department of Mysteries." George gave a slight nod and Harry went on.

"He used the killing curse on me- in the forest. And then I wasn't there anymore. I was someplace else. Someplace peaceful and warm and… and wonderful. Just a whole lot of nothingness, really. But then Dumbledore was there…and my parents. Sirius and Remus, too. They said I could move on if I wanted to, but because he had taken my blood for his body, I was tied to him. Tied to life, so I wasn't really dead."

"But you were with the dead?"

"Yeah, I think so. No," he corrected, "no I'm sure of it."

"What, what was it like there?"

"I'm not really sure because I wasn't completely there. I guess I was in, like a waiting room."

"But they were all there?"

"Dumbledore mainly. He talked to me for a long time. I think time was different there. But I talked to my mum and dad…"

"Why didn't you stay?"

The question didn't surprise Harry as much as it should have. He had asked himself that very same question. "They all seemed to feel I could finish him off if I came back." Harry shrugged. "I had nothing to fear either way. It was tough leaving them. They all seemed so at peace." He smiled at the memory. "Dumbledore was the same except his hand was fine. My parents looked about the way they were when they died, but Sirius appeared a bit older than them and happy, like he had never been in Azkaban."

"So when I join Fred, I'll have two ears?"

Harry looked at him curiously. "I guess so. Maybe its about self image or something; the way you think you are inside?" he shrugged. "Anyway your mum says that dinner is almost ready. Truthfully, I don't recommend starvation," he added nodding toward the tray.

"Fred would probably kill me if I starved myself to death, huh?" George joked.

Harry clapped him in the back. "Probably best not to chance it, eh mate?" he quipped as he left the room, purposely leaving the door open so George would have to get up, hopefully to follow. He met up with Ginny and Hermione on the landing.

"Oh, I'm suppose to tell you dinners ready," he told the girls.

"I'll just go wash up," Hermione told them, leaving Harry and Ginny alone for the first time in almost a year.

"I'm sorry about before, Harry. I just, I don't know. There were just so many things going through my head…"

"Its okay, Gin. Really. I should have understood the mood around here. Nobody wants to see someone happy while they are grieving so much." He held up his hand at her protest. "I know there's more to it than that, but I felt that way when Sirius died. I'm not totally clueless. I just wanted to do something that you might like; a silver lining." He shrugged and shook his head, "I guess my timing was bad."

"And it will get worse if we miss dinner!" George said from behind them. "Come on little Gin Gin, don't want to starve to death!" Harry smiled at the two siblings and stopped into the bathroom to wash up. He didn't want to intrude on the grieving family more than necessary.

After a relaxed and quiet (for the Weasleys) dinner and delicious strawberries and cream tarts for pudding, Mr. Weasley pulled Harry aside. "I don't know what you said to George, but thank you. Again. He hadn't eaten a thing for days, we were really starting to worry. I know you don't like to hear it, Harry, but you really have been a blessing to this family. Don't feel like you are intruding."

Harry started to reply, but Arthur stopped him. "Molly and I consider you one of our own, Harry. Your death would have been just as big a blow to us as Fred's- or any of the others. We are grateful that we are only mourning one son now. That was quite a scare you gave us."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley. It was the only way."

Arthur nodded, "so I've heard. Although the full explanation will be appreciated sometime, son. Ron says that it is your story to tell…"

He nodded, "I will. I told Kingsley this morning. I don't know how many times I can go through it though," Harry sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "it's a bit of a long story."

"When you are ready, then. I don't know if Molly would be up to it anytime soon, anyway."

"I'd like to hear it, too"

Harry spun around. Ginny was standing in the doorway, looking tired and somber. Arthur graciously took his leave. "Looks like a great night for a stroll. Best check the wards," he mumbled as he headed out the front door.

"I thought nobody ever uses that door," Harry smiled.

Ginny didn't smile back. "We need to talk," she stated plaintively.

Harry sat down on the sofa and gestured for her to join him. "I just told your father I would tell you all everything," he said.

"That's not all we need to talk about."

"I know,." he agreed. "I'm sorry about Fred." Ginny just look down at her hands. "I missed you. I was so worried all year. I kept looking at your dot an the marauder's map- to make sure you were okay. But you weren't were you?" he said softly.

She sighed and shifted in her seat to face him. "It wasn't good, Harry. But we couldn't let them get away with it. We had to fight back."

"I'd expect nothing less from you, Ginny. I guess that's why I was so worried. We'd heard about the sword. I knew what you were trying to do, but you only got detention with Hagrid so I wasn't too concerned. I should have known that wasn't the only thing. I'm glad Neville was there for you."

"When I found out about Snape really being on our side, it made a little more sense. Neville and I never got hurt as much as some of the others. I guess he was protecting us as best he could. But the Carrows made Umbridge look like a pussy cat."

"Neville told me, yeah. I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could have done."

"And that was one of the things we were most worried about, idiot! All we needed was for you to come flying in there to save us! Right into their hands!" she shook her head angrily. "They were expecting it, you know. They had it all planned out. And then I heard you were there, I was so afraid, Harry. Not just you, but Ron and Hermione too. My worst nightmare. And then you didn't even acknowledge me! 'Stay here like a good little girl, Ginny' 'Just sit here while everybody you love goes and gets themselves killed'. You all looked like hell! All the students had stories of Gringotts and Dragons and…. nobody told me anything!" she yelled pounding on his chest.

He grimaced, it was still sore, but he didn't stop her. She had a right to be angry with him. He pulled her close and held her. "I'm sorry, Gin. I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair as she started to cry.

Her shouting had brought Molly and Charlie into the room, but they stopped when they saw she was alright. Harry just looked at them sadly, his eyes bright. Molly sat down next to her daughter and hugged them both as Charlie went out the front door. Harry gently handed Ginny over to her mother and got up and followed Charlie, who had joined his father out in the front drive.

"She went through a lot, Harry," Mr. Weasley told him quietly.

"We all did," he muttered, wiping a tear from his eye. "We all did."

"Why don't you go home and get some sleep. You need to be at work early in the morning, I hear," Arthur told him. "She'll be fine," he added seeing the look of concern on Harry's face.

But Harry didn't want to leave without saying good-bye. Not again. He went back into the house but Ginny and Molly had apparently gone up to bed. He went into the kitchen and found some parchment and a quill. He put the note on the table for Ginny to see in the morning and went out back to disapparate back to Grimmauld place, barely noticing the two entwined figures groping each other behind the tree.

_Note to my reviewers. First, Thank you so much. The positive feedback is wonderful. I am very pleased that you really like a story that I am basically writing for myself. I hope it helps you fill in some of the blanks as well as it is doing for me. _

_To 'OnlyTimeWillTell' I actually wrote this before I read your review. I had to double check that I hadn't accidentally posted it before it was finished because you had it so spot on! Great minds think alike ;-) _


	9. Grieving

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

CHAPTER 9

_Grieving_

It was the owl that woke him up. At least he thought it was an owl. In his sleep blurred stated, it could have been a hyperactive feather duster; but owl seemed to make more sense. Even at six in the morning.

Pig; he realized groggily as he sat up and tried to grab the little bird. He was finally able to coax the owl to hold still long enough to pull the letter off his leg. Pig zoomed back out the open window. "Guess you don't need a reply, then," Harry snorted, opening the note.

It wasn't from Ron. That was probably a good thing though, considering the four words that were written on it. His grin widened as he read them.

"_I Love You, too"_

Harry's good mood ended at the ministry gates. They were draped in black, as was the security guard, who greeted him somberly. Fortunately there was no one else in the lift, his mood had changed so abruptly that he didn't think he would be polite company at the moment. He vaguely wondered when he could get off this emotional roller coaster. The ride was starting to drain him.

He was met at the Auror offices by Proudfoot. "Oh good, you're early. And dressed perfectly." Harry stared at him. He had put on a pair of new black jeans and a black tee shirt with a Hungarian Horntail dragon on it. It was surprisingly realistic for a muggle drawing. In fact he had also bought one that had a version of the Hogwarts motto on it. 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon', but with the clever muggle addition of 'for you are crunchy and good with ketchup'. He was glad he hadn't worn that one.

"Perfectly for what?" he asked the head Auror tentatively.

"I need someone to go to Leeds and check out this churchyard," he said, taking a piece of parchment from his pocket. Harry's face fell as he read it. It was where Colin's service would be the next day. "Make sure its private enough, you know, be a bit of a mixed crowd. We don't want any problems. The brother says it should be okay but, I'm certainly not taking his word for it." Harry nodded. "Heard you're giving the eulogy. Be good for you to get a feel for the place."

Harry's mouth fell open, "I am?"

"That's what Kingsley told me, yeah. You didn't know?"

"No"

"Better go talk to him then. I'll send Lucinda by when she gets in. She's good with the muggle stuff."

Harry went up to the Minster's office wondering why Shacklebolt would volunteer him for such a thing and who the heck 'Lucinda' was. He got his answer to the second question right away as Kingsley was talking to a tall brunette witch in blue jeans and heels and a Weird Sister's tour shirt much like the one Tonks had worn. "Ah, Harry, just the man we wanted to see." Kingsley said, as the witch turned and smiled. She was quite pretty. "This is Lucinda Debellis, a former colleague of mine who has agreed to help us out. "

"How do you do?" Harry shook her hand politely

"It's a pleasure, Harry. I have to go check in with Jerry see what my assignment is," she said, brightly.

"I think you're stuck with me," Harry told her.

"Excellent. I'll meet you back here then."

Minister Shacklebolt gestured for Harry to enter his office, "Have a seat, Harry." They both sat in the chairs in front of the large fake window. "I've been requested to ask you to give a talk at the Creevey boys funeral tomorrow. Minerva tells me there will be a large contingent of Hogwarts students attending.. She feels that as a fellow Gryffindor and student leader, you should say a few words."

Harry shook his head. "I really don't…"

"Its entirely up to you, Harry. The brother, Dennis?" Harry nodded, "asked Ginny Weasley to do it but she declined and suggested you."

"When was this?" Harry asked curiously.

Kingsley cocked his head., "Sometime yesterday. I talked to Minerva late afternoon, I guess it was."

Harry thought about it. Ginny hadn't mentioned anything but that could have explained her mood. He supposed if she requested him to do it… He took a breath. "I guess I could say something," he agreed.

Shacklebolt smiled. "Good man, Harry. Thanks."

Harry soon found himself with Lucinda in a churchyard on the outskirts of Leeds. It was fairly secluded and there were no other buildings as far as they could see. Workmen were erecting a large tent behind the small church and dozens of chairs were being unloaded from a lorry. They spoke with the vicar and gleaned that the Creevys had told friends and family that the boys had been removed from their boarding school because of ongoing violence and that Colin had gone back to see some mates when a fight broke out and he was killed. Anyone who read the newspapers lately would find the unfortunate story quite believable. The vicar was expecting a large crowd of young people and Lucinda assured him that the school was taking proper security measures and that all would go smoothly.

Proudfoot gave Harry the rest of the afternoon off to work on his speech. It wasn't going to be easy, but he had time. The service would not be until noon the next day in order to give everyone time to get there from all over the country. Just before he left the ministry, Harry sent an owl to his cousin giving him the address and the time of the funeral. He didn't know if Dudley would be able to get there but thought that he would like to know anyway. He smiled thinking of Uncle Vernon's reaction to the owl but sincerely hoped the bird would make it back in one piece.

Most of the seats were already filled when Harry arrived at the church with Ron, Hermione and Ginny the next day. Almost everyone was wearing black with some hint of the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor. Harry had on his new black suit, a subtle deep red pinstripe detailing making it a little less dark. He wore a white shirt and narrow striped House tie that he had to borrow from the Weasleys, who had an extensive collection of Hogwarts ties. He picked out a Marauder era wide one with circus-like stripes to wear to the Order service to honor Remus. He thought Fred might have found it funny. Both girls had red and gold scarves around their necks and Ron wore a lions tee shirt under his jacket.

They greeted Dennis and his parents and sat in the seats Professor McGonagall had saved for them. Harry quickly donned his new sunglasses as he noticed the stares he was getting. He looked straight ahead, staring nervously at the podium. The vicar he had met the day before was making his way to the front, but he didn't register a word he said. In no time at all professor McGonagall was introducing him. He tried to control his nerves as he walked up, but still felt like the ground was shaking.

"_The first time I ever met Colin, he was an extremely annoying first year with a camera _(fortunately there were chuckles through the crowd and Harry felt himself relax a bit). _I soon discovered that he was much more than that. That first photo Colin took is now one of my favorites ever taken of me-and believe me that's quite a few pictures! Colin had his camera with him, as always, and was going to take a photo of Professor Lockhart who had written a few books and considered himself somewhat of a celebrity. Unfortunately, I was passing by at the time and Lockhart decided I should join him in the picture. I decided I shouldn't. But as on a previous occasion the great Gilderoy Lockhart won out and I got stuck posing with him anyway. The resulting picture captured my displeasure completely. It practically looks like I am trying to break away from him and escape out of the side of the frame._

_Such was Colin's talent for revealing life around him. His joyful spirit and boundless enthusiasm showed in every photograph he took those first few years. But as we all got older and the world got darker so did his photographs. The lighthearted little moments he loved to capture became more serious, but that is not to say they weren't just as good. In fact, as you look at some of them over there, you will find that his later shots have a spirit no less great. Pensive, moody, somber, perhaps, but still full of life and the people and things he loved. _

_And he loved his school and his house and his friends and his family. Colin was one of the biggest cheerleaders of our house sports team. All the way down on the pitch, I could always tell where Colin was sitting. Not from the flash of his camera, but from the volume of his cheers. Whether we were winning or losing (okay we didn't lose much) Colin would always be at the helm, rousing the rest of the house in a lion like roar._

_Despite the fact that he was often bullied for his size, background or creativity, Colin always let his spirit shine through. His bravery and eagerness were an inspiration to us all. He fought back against the bullies who tormented his friends and terrorized our beloved school and it cost him his life. But his spirit will always be with us. _

_So let us all stand and give one last Gryffindor cheer to one of our greatest cheerleaders. Professor McGonagall, if you could join me… Everyone, Even you Gryffindors for the day, for Colin…_

"_GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR! GO GO GRYFFINDOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

The ground echoed with the stamping of a hundred feet. Red and gold streamers, banners and fireworks filled the air. But Harry Potter did not see them. He had disappeared after the first cheer.

He was standing at the gates of Hogwarts wondering if he should try the patronus message thing that the Order does to contact Hagrid when he was startled by a wizard walking next to the gates. "State your business," he drawled, bored.

"I'm here to see Hagrid."

"Name?"

Harry was tempted to give him Ron's name but he vaguely recognized the man as a Magical Law officer from the Ministry. "Harry Potter"

The MLE started, "Auror Potter, sir! I'm sorry, sir. Of course, come in." he opened the gates. "I think Hagrid's by his hut, working in the garden."

"Thank you." Harry walked up the drive toward the castle. He didn't know why he had come there. He supposed all the talk of Hogwarts and seeing all the students had gotten him nostalgic. But seeing Hagrid seemed like an excellent idea now, anyway. Hagrid always made him feel better. He didn't need to go much further before he saw Grawp, standing next to the hut and holding a giant sized hoe. Seconds later, Fang bounded up to him, limping slightly and missing a good potion of his tail. Hagrid wasn't far behind.

"'Arry! Looking real spiffy ain't ya?" he boomed, grabbing Harry into a hug. "Funeral over already?" he asked narrowing his eyes and taking in Harry's blotchy face.

"Left early."

"Ah. 'Ow bout some tea then? Fer old times sake?"

"That sounds wonderful Hagrid." And it did. Harry had to remove his sunglasses after he entered the house. Hagrid handed him a cold wash cloth.

"Wipe yer face, kiddo. You look a fright. Rough day, huh?" the half giant asked while pulling mugs from the cupboard.

"Something like that."

"Have a seat, tea'll be on in a 'mo. Where's yer glasses?"

"Contact lenses" Harry tried to explain the concept but Hagrid just looked flummoxed. Finally he took them out and showed him. His eyes needed a rest anyway.

"Amazin'. An you can see good and everything?"

"Perfect."

"So 'ow you doin 'Arry?"

Harry shrugged, he knew better than to lie to Hagrid. "Been better, been worse. I'm not too good at all the emotional stuff."

Hagrid laughed, "Is anybody? Just got to plod through it, I guess. Things always get better."

Harry smiled, Hagrid usually said exactly what he needed to hear. A knock on the door threw him from his musings, however.

"Afternoon Professor" Hagrid said.

Harry looked up, Professor McGonagall had entered and was eyeing him questionably. "There you are Potter. Everyone was asking for you. I believe the Weasleys are a bit concerned.

"I wish they wouldn't be."

"Be that as it may. The Creevey family was sorry they missed you, they wanted compliment you on your speech. As do I." Harry nodded as the Professor opened the door. "Oh and you missed your cousin," she added. "Dennis introduced us. Grew into a nice young man."

"Yeh, Dudley's changed a lot."

"A good thing, too," she remarked sarcastically as she left. 'I'll see you tomorrow, Harry. Do try to get some rest."

"Do I really look that bad?" he asked Hagrid.

"Nah, just a bit tired." Harry took that as his cue to leave and he thanked Hagrid for the tea.

"See ya tomorrow, 'Arry."

Harry sighed and walked back to the gates. He was not looking forward to tomorrow. Not one bit.

Things didn't get much better once he got home. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all waiting for him in the sitting room. 'I need to change the locks or something', he thought. At least they brought food.

"You really need to stop disappearing, mate," Ron mumbled through a mouth full of pasta that the Creevys had insisted they take home.

"Yeah, Harry. You're not the only one having a rough time of it you know," Ginny told him, pausing and biting her bottom lip. "It was really a bit rude of you to leave like that. Dennis was really disappointed. He wanted to tell you how much that speech meant to him. It was a beautiful tribute to Colin."

Harry sat down and ran his hand through his hair. "I just couldn't…I didn't think…"

"That's right you didn't," she admonished, sitting down next to him. "You are not the only one hurting, Harry Potter. I just buried one of my best friends! And tomorrow…"

"Tomorrow's gonna be even harder, mate, " Ron finished, squeezing Hermione's hand. "But its easier together. You would have realized that if you had stayed."

"He's right, you know," Ginny told him moving closer to Harry on the sofa and taking his hand. "The cheers were fantastic, we could all picture him hearing them," she said softly, her eyes starting to tear. "And afterward, everybody looked at the photographs Dennis had put out and... and remembered when they were taken and laughed and cried and talked. It was really very heartwarming."

Harry snorted. "Really it was, seeing everyone again, remembering the good times," Hermione agreed. "I know you are used to coping with things alone, but its not good, Harry. Its okay to grieve, its okay to show emotion…."

"Right, that's what makes us human," he snapped, frowning. Even when Dumbledore said it, it had sounded cliché.

"Yes, it is." Hermione retorted, getting frustrated with him, "Even heroes are human, Harry."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," he agreed just to be left alone. He took some of the food as he realized that he hadn't eaten since breakfast and glanced around. Ron was sitting in the wing chair next to the sofa, Hermione half on the arm, half on his lap, Ron's arm around her waist. They looked quite cozy and content, despite the mood. Maybe they were right, maybe grief was better shared. All he had ever been taught was to keep it to himself, locked away. Maybe there was a better way. He pulled Ginny closer and she settled her head on his chest. He closed his eyes, relaxed back and sighed contentedly as he put his arm around her and felt some of the tension drain away. Yes, this was a much better way.


	10. Requiems

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

CHAPTER 10

_Requiems_

Apparently his friends had decided that leaving him alone too much was not in his best interest. Hermione's excuse that her parents' house was just too big and lonely was quiet convincing, however and she stayed the night. Not that he really had any say, as she had already brought an overnight bag with her. Even so, neither of them slept very well that night. She was already up as he rushed into the kitchen to grab some breakfast before he left for work. Kreacher tried to get him to sit and eat but he really only had time for toast. He wasn't very hungry anyway.

Aurors were to provide security at the Hogsmeade church for the day. A religious service for residents who had died in the battle would be in the morning and the Order service was scheduled for the afternoon. Harry was assigned to the morning squad and was to arrive in the village before nine. Although the Aurors were suppose to be in full uniform- Scarlet robes that Proudfoot declared made them all walking targets for any nutter- Harry would be using his invisibility cloak. He dressed in the clothes he had picked out for Fred, Remus and Tonks' funeral but left the garish tie in his pocket, just in case he might be seen.

He met up with Williamson and the others at the Three Broomsticks where Madam Rosmerta was already doing a brisk business with guests that had arrived for the service. They regrouped to the quiet of the Hogs Head, much to Aberforth's displeasure. He hadn't yet reopened the pub and wasn't sure he was going to. Hogsmeade was more crowded than Harry had ever seen it, even during student weekends. The small church was soon packed and an over flow crowd had gathered outside, making it difficult for the Aurors to move around.

Harry stayed hidden on the fringes of the crowd, watching for anything or anyone suspicious. The only trouble came from a group of young boys who were obviously bored by the long eulogies and had snuck out of the church to play with a snitch that one of them had brought that kept buzzing into the mourners. He quickly stuck out his hand and caught it, bringing it back under the cloak and out of sight. The boys assumed it had gotten away from them and ran towards the village in search. Harry apparated to a point just ahead of them, and removed the cloak. Their eyes widened in awe as they took in the lightning bolt scar and the bright green eyes. He handed it back to them, telling them to keep it away from the crowds and to be careful. He watched as the boys took off again after the snitch, not noticing that the youngest had stayed behind until he felt a bludger hit his stomach. He looked down in surprise at the boy now hugging his midriff. Before he could say anything the child had taken off after his friends. Harry froze in shock, that was certainly an unfamiliar reaction to him and he found it a bit embarrassing. He hoped no one had seen it. He froze as a hand gripped onto his shoulder, but relaxed a bit when he noticed it had a scarlet robed arm.

"Aren't you suppose to be down by the church?" Proudfoot asked grinning at his coworker's startled look.

"Er, yeah. I mean yes, sir." he stuttered causing the Head Auror to chuckle and clap Harry on the back.

"A few days ago you would have been arrested, now you get hugged. Come on, mate, you can't help but laugh!" Harry didn't find the irony all that humorous.

Music and singing filled the air as he walked past the black draped tea shop and approached the church, walking around the perimeter to check for signs of trouble. The tune was somber, yet uplifting. The hundreds of voices all blended together in a sound that soothed his soul with almost the same intensity as phoenix song. He made sure the newly prepared graveyard was safe for the mourners who had started to file in its direction. Five flag draped coffins lead the way, each levitated by a group of family and friends. They were placed by each of five freshly dug holes, all facing the forest; the damaged towers of Hogwarts just visible above the trees. Other plots faced the valley below or the church behind them. One waiting grave was situated facing the village itself, although only the backs of the shops could be seen. Harry stood at the foot of that section scanning the buildings. If he was correct, he would be looking right into the rear door of Zonko's Joke Shop. Harry heart wrenched, he knew exactly who that hole was for.

The burials didn't take long. The people all soon trickled back to the Three Broomsticks or their homes. Some of the Aurors stayed behind to watch for stragglers but Harry was able to leave to prepare for the next service. He made his way back to the Hogs Head where a few friends had already started to gather. Food and beverages were laid out across the bar, but the barman was no where in sight.

"Where's Ab?" Harry asked Lee Jordan, who seemed to be in charge of the gathering.

Lee shrugged, "Said something about finding a nice cave somewhere. Don't know if he meant him or us, though." Harry smiled, Aberforth had complained earlier that his business was ruined. "All that come by are a bunch of gawkers. Chase away all the regulars," he had told them. The Aurors had suggested that most of his regulars were in Azkaban anyway, and Aberforth had stalked off. Harry sat down with Neville and Dean and ate and talked. Seamus arrived, escorting a still bandaged Lavender. Things started to get crowded when the Patil twins joined them, along with some of Padma's Ravenclaw friends, Harry excused himself to get ready and went up the rickety stairs to the private rooms.

It was there that he found the surviving members of The Order of the Phoenix. Hestia, Dedalus, Elphias Doge and Sturgis Podmore were all gathered around Ab's table, a bottle of fire whiskey in the middle. Only Kingsley and McGonagall and of course the Weasleys appeared to be missing. Harry didn't expect Dung would turn up, and wasn't sure how he would react if he did.

"Harry, Harry do join us in a toast!" Dedalus hiccupped.

"Er, not right now, Mr. Diggle, er bathroom," he replied heading toward the door across the way. Dedalus beamed, "So polite, Harry. Call me Deddy, your cousin does!"

"Only to shut you up," he heard Hestia say as he closed the door to the small but thankfully quiet room. When he exited some time later, his hair combed and his tie knotted, only Hestia remained.

"You didn't want to say a few words for Lupin, did you?" she asked while straightening his tie. He cringed.

"Not particularly," he responded truthfully. "But, er if you need me to…"

The dark haired witch smiled in a motherly fashion, "No, Minerva thought you could use a break. She has told you about Friday, right?"

Harry searched his brain. Friday… Hogwarts memorial… Dawn… Speech. "Yes, she asked me to say a few words."

Hestia chuckled, "I don't think you'll get away with just a few. You will be the keynote speaker, after all." Harry felt the blood rush out of his face, Hestia patted him on the cheek. "I'd be happy to help you if you'd like."

"Thanks, but I'll think of something."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, dear. After all, that was some rousing speech you gave for Creevey." Harry sighed heavily, readying himself for another trip on the roller coaster.

He took his place in the front row of seats between Hermione and Andromeda Tonks, who greeted him warmly and took her grandson out of the basket by her feet to show them. He was very tiny with the brown hair of both his parents, unlike the turquoise hair Harry had seen in his photographs; perhaps he sensed the mood around him, Harry mused, he felt pretty drab himself.

"One month old today," Mrs. Tonks was telling Hermione who was now holding the baby. "That's why I picked today, of course. I think Molly would have preferred Thursday, but she was very gracious…" She looked up as the Weasley clan came up to their seats. There was a bit of confusion about who sat where and Ginny looked none too happy to be placed between her mother and her Aunt Muriel. George sat on the other side of Molly and Charlie on the other side of Muriel. Bill and Fleur squeezed into the row behind them a few minutes later. Percy and a girl Harry had never seen before quietly took seats next to Fleur. Finally Arthur came up with the Minister and Lee Jordan. After Kingsley greeted everyone personally down the line, he went up to the raised podium and Arthur sat down next to George. Lee, who looked unusually nervous, took the end seat by Charlie and lifted a long roll of parchment from the pocket of his robes and began tapping it against his leg.

The chattering crowd of mostly Hogwarts students, along with some of Tonks' Auror friends and Order members quieted down as soon as Shacklebolt cleared his throat. His deep voice carried easily through the mourners and his authoritative manner put everyone at rapt attention.

"The last few days we have honored many of our brave friends and acquaintances. Just this morning at this very site, five residents of this village were laid to rest. In other parts of our great country, twelve others have been sent to their graves for their valiant efforts at the Battle of Hogwarts. Several more will be eulogized tomorrow. In all toll, the Battle claimed over three dozen defenders of the light. The three people whom we now honor, were part of an elite force of fighters, one that took on the darkness that was overtaking our country even before others recognized that darkness."

"Formed by Albus Dumbledore some thirty years ago, The Order of the Phoenix collected intelligence, gathered evidence and maintained order where the Ministry could not. The reasons for the need for such an independent group were many, but the alternatives were few. Professor Dumbledore assembled an organization of diverse witches and wizards whose dedication to the cause of Light Magic was second only to their courage in that devotion. They were willing to die for their cause. And many of them did. You have heard many of the names, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Marlene McKinnon, Edgar Bones, James and Lily Potter. Others you have not. They were no less dedicated and no less courageous and no less missed."

"Today we bury three more of our bravest, Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks Lupin. But there have been several other members of the Order who made the ultimate sacrifice for the Light in the past few years who, unfortunately, did not receive their due recognition. I would like to address that injustice now."

"We would be honored if the next of kin of our fallen comrades will come up and accept the symbols of our organization in their honor. Each will receive a Phoenix pin, a certificate of honor, and the Order Colors. "In the order of their sacrifice. ." Here Kingsley stopped and looked directly at Harry.

"Sirius Black"

Harry glanced to Andromeda, she was Sirius' cousin, but she nodded for him to go. He had little time to express his shock as she put her hand on his back and gently pushed him up. He successfully negotiated the steps and took the package from Kingsley, who shook his hand and whispered a few things in his ear. Harry didn't register any of them. He returned to his seat and Hermione took the things from him and put them in a large bag she conveniently had with her. He had just settled back in when Andromeda draped a cloth over his shoulder and arranged Teddy in his arm.

"…Alastor Moody…"

"Ted Tonks."

His widow rose gracefully and proceeded up, her head held high, her face belying any emotion as she hugged the Minister and came to sit back down. She did not take her grandson back. Kingsley was finishing up with this part of the service, and Harry gently bobbed the infant up and down, his warmth spreading into him. Instinctively, he pressed his lips gently to the sweet smelling head and felt Andromeda pat his knee appreciatively, while a slight smile crossed his tear streaked face. He didn't notice Kingsley's warm glance or the ahh that Hermione whispered, or the photographer who gave him a thumbs up for the picture of the century.

His attention drifted back to the podium as Shacklebolt moved to stand in front of the first coffin. Mrs. Tonks took a box of tissues from Teddy's basket, handed one to Harry and wadded several others in her palm. Teddy slept on, drooling on his Godfather's shoulder, never to hear the Minister of Magic eulogize his mother. Or his father. Madam Pomfrey gave a beautiful recounting of Remus' days at Hogwarts, from her first meeting with his parents to the brief scene by Bill's bed after he had been attacked by Greyback. Her praise of Lupin's compassion and humanity in the face of his disease had the assembled mourners in tears. Including Harry and Andromeda, who took Teddy back from Harry solely for the need for something to do and the comfort he brought to her.

Lee had already moved up to the podium by the time Harry had readjusted his seat and wiped the tears from his face. He noticed Hermione edge closer to her right and entwine her hands with Ron's. He suddenly felt the urge to change seats with Aunt Muriel.

The first thing Lee did was to point out that from his resting place, Fred could look right into the Joke shop. Harry didn't hear what he said next. Andromeda stood and gently handed him the box of tissues as Harry moved to his right and rested his head on Hermione's shoulder. He was suddenly squashed even further as Ginny moved from next to her mother to Harry's side. Andromeda quietly moved to sit next to Molly. Two mothers sharing their grief; new life honoring those that passed.

But Lee wasn't going to let his friend's memory be marked by tears. Although the Weasleys had been overtaken by their sorrow, the rest of the assembled mourners had started laughing as Lee told story after story of their Hogwart's hi-jinx. Harry felt Ginny giggle through her sniffles as Lee retold their adventure to procure a toilet seat to send home to her in amazing detail. His story telling abilities had everyone listening with rapt attention, even Molly, who kept turning to George and muttering 'oh, no! You didn't?' as every new detail of the twins Hogwarts years came to light. Even as Lee told of their new determination to fight against Voldemort and Fred's instructions for this very funeral, humor was still present. George actually had a mischievous smile on his tear stained face as he joined Lee for Fred's final sendoff, a takeoff on the dark mark; a dragon breathing out a fiery phoenix, followed by the most magnificent fireworks display anyone had ever seen. The ominous clouds that had hung over the village all day made for a excellent backdrop for the daytime viewing of the rings and crossettes, roaring lions and prancing unicorns. But as the last amazing show of light faded, the sun came out in full force. Fred had definitely enjoyed the show.


	11. Ups and Downs

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 11**

_Ups and Downs_

The Weasleys and Andromeda Tonks gathered at Madam Puddifoot's for a small reception after the burials. It was Harry, however, that was the center of attention. While everyone was polite in extending their condolences to the grieving families, they all wanted to meet the 'Chosen One'. Harry felt extremely self conscious about the attention, especially since it was obvious that the Chief Auror was guarding him. Proudfoot was limiting access to Harry to Order Members and trusted Ministry personnel, and while it was interesting to meet some of the people Mr. Weasley had mentioned over the years, as well as his new colleagues, after more than an hour he felt all chatted out. All of the younger mourners had gone down to a party at The Three Broomsticks that Angelina and Alicia had put together in Fred's honor, all except Ginny, who was keeping an eye on Teddy while his Grandmother greeted friends. And, of course, Harry. Both teens finally managed to slip out as Teddy started to fuss and Andromeda bundled him up to take him home.

They hasn't gone far when they were startled by a man who jumped out in front of them from between two shops. In one motion Harry drew his wand and moved protectively in front of Ginny. The wizard was hit by Harry's stunning spell as Ginny screamed and a second man suddenly appeared next to them. Harry didn't know who seemed more frightened, him or the man he now had his wand pointed at. The short balding wizard had his hands out in surrender and a panicked looked on his face as a round of spells hit him from behind Harry.

Four uniformed Aurors still had their wands pointed in his direction as Ginny and Harry, still with his arm protectively around her, turned toward them. Ginny wiggled herself from his grasp as her parents came running up the street. She looked down at the man lying in front of her, his camera now covered in mud and back to Harry. "He's a bloody photographer, you idiot!' she screamed in his face as she pushed him away from her. "You're trying to protect me from a camera? I don't need protecting, Harry I'm not eleven!"

"Well, actually, Miss, these two were the ones writing all the lies the Death Eaters wanted to print," Williamson told her. "They could actually be dangerous."

Proudfoot toed the balding man none too gently. "The things this guy wrote about Dora…." he growled looking down at the man in disgust. "Hell of a nerve coming here. What you say we take them in, Brian? Suspicion of Death Eater activities?" Williamson nodded and picked up the other man's camera. "Might be some evidence on here…"

Molly had her daughter in a bone gripping hug but Ginny wasn't standing for it. Harry had seen the look on her face a few times before and wondered if he should warn Molly, but Ginny wrenched herself from her mothers arms and pulled out her wand. Harry shifted out of her range

"Leave. Me. Alone!!!" she yelled and twisted on the spot. The fact that she was underage, in full view of five Aurors and her parents didn't seem to enter her mind as she disapparated. She couldn't help but notice that one of them had grabbed on to her and was holding on as if their life depended on it.

Ginny and Harry landed none too gracefully at the apparition point of the Burrow. As he wasn't exactly upright when he had lunged toward her, she managed to get her bearings first and immediately rounded on him. "You could have gotten us both splinched! What the hell were you thinking?"

He looked up at her, his green eyes rueful and sad. "I was thinking that I couldn't bear to lose you again," he answered softly.

Her mouth fell open and she swallowed hard, staring at him as he just sat there on the damp grass, his head down between his knees. Neither of them moved as Molly suddenly appeared next to them. She looked over her daughter, satisfied that she was fine and then down at Harry. He was abnormally pale and looked to be in pain. "Are you alright, dear? Should I call Madam Pomfrey?"

"I'm fine, ."

She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head. "You know you are never very convincing when you say that. Splinching accidents are nothing to take flippantly."

"No, really," he demonstrated, getting to his feet and turning around once, "I'm fine." He thought it best to move away from the two redheads and headed into the house.

"Well, then", she turned to Ginny, "I know its been a very trying day, but really, Ginny! In front of the Head Auror none-the-less."

"What's he going to do, send me to Azkaban? Come on Mum, be real! They don't even know if I'm of age or not! I could be. And after all we've been through. Besides I was with Harry."

"Only because he had the good sense to follow you!"

"Good sense? The prat could have killed us both!" she shook her head and went into the kitchen. Harry had already put on tea. "Noble and good in the kitchen. What a prize!"

"What is your problem? I just reacted, okay. I would have done the same thing for Draco-bloody-Malfoy!"

"For months, months I was at school getting strung up and crucioed. Where were all my saviors then? Some idiot with a camera crosses my path and suddenly I've got the whole auror department …"

Molly stood in the doorway with her hand over her mouth. "Crucioed?" she repeated shakily. Harry looked between the two of them, apparently Ginny had not told her parents about everything that had happened at Hogwarts. He helped Molly to a chair and put out the tea. Ginny plopped down at the table resignedly. "Yes, mum. I told you things were bad."

"They used an unforgivable on a student?"

"No, they had the other students practice them. And most of them didn't want to do it so it wasn't bad, but their were a few. Listen, mum, you know dad's going to want to hear this and I really would rather not discuss this now, anyway. I'm fine. There's no damage." Harry sat down next to her and took her hand.

"It isn't always obvious, sweetheart. Did anyone check you out?" her mother asked worriedly.

"Yes, Mum. Madam Pomfrey kept checking up on us. If she thought we needed a break, she'd make some excuse to keep us there." Ginny took a sip of tea and stared ahead at the now working clock her mother had placed in the kitchen this time so she could keep a better eye on it. There were three hands pointing to home- hers, her mothers and Fred's. "She wanted to resign in protest but then there wouldn't be anyone there at all for us." She looked to Harry, "Snape always came looking for us if we weren't in class. He always seemed to accept her excuses, though. I guess there was only so much anyone could do, and its not like we were going to just lie still and not fight back. Thanks for the tea, Harry. I'm going to go change. Promise you'll hang around till I come back?"

"No place better to go," he smiled.

"Did you know?" Molly whispered.

Harry shook his head. "Not until we got to Hogwarts and Neville told us. But he said that Ginny didn't tell anyone because she didn't want to leave school. She's really strong, Mrs. Weasley. She'll be fine," he told her, hoping it was true himself. "We'll all be fine. Eventually."

Arthur floo called from the Ministry to say he was going to stay there a while and Molly didn't argue. The shock of Ginny's torture seemed to completely deflate her and she retired for the night before any of the others returned. Harry and Ginny spent some time looking at some photo albums and chatting about her family. It was just small talk but Harry enjoyed hearing the stories. Not long after, she bade him goodnight as well and he headed home.

Ron and Hermione were waiting for him in the sitting room, waiting wasn't really the right word for it, but Harry didn't want to know what else to call it. "Don't let me disturb you, its not like its my house or anything. Or my couch," he added wrinkling his nose. Ron threw a pillow at him.

"Missed a great party, mate. Didn't hang with the old folks all night did you?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I was at your house, Ron. With Ginny." Ron snickered and wiggled his eyebrows. "And your mother."

"Too bad on that. Everything alright?"

Harry sat down in the chair by the fireplace and ran his across the back of his neck. "I got a little over-protective, Ginny freaked and let it slip that she had been subject to the cruciatus. Your mom heard her."

Ron blew out a breath, "Whew. Mum hit the roof?"

Harry shook his head, "That's just the thing, Ron. She got all quiet and let her wiggle out of talking about it. Then she went to bed."

"That's the way she's been all week, all quiet. Its really weird. And dad, he just goes to work. Like he doesn't want to be around, almost."

"Their grieving, Ron!" Hermione admonished, "of course they aren't going to act normal. Their whole world has changed."

"Yeah, well so has mine!"

"But they lost a child. They tried so hard to protect all of you, and they still lost Fred. It's got to really be hurting them," Hermione said trying to help Ron figure things out. "And now she finds out that Ginny was hurt and she couldn't do anything about it."

"Even let her go back after Christmas," Harry thought out loud. "She couldn't protect her. I know exactly how she feels." He felt his eyes start to burn again and dropped his head into his hands, "Like somehow this is all her fault," he added so softly that Hermione barely heard him. She gave him a sympathetic look and stood as Ron got up as well.

"I'd better get home, then. 'Night, Hermione," Ron kissed her on the lips and left the room.

"Good Night, Ron," she replied, moving toward Harry. "It's not your fault, either. You really need to believe that, Harry. V…Voldemort's fault. Not yours." She sat down on the floor next to him and looked up. He seemed defeated, like they hadn't won at all. And in many ways, they hadn't.

"How's things with Ginny?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood.

He shook his head, "Not a clue." She looked at him incredulously. "No, really Hermione, I can't figure her out. She doesn't want to really talk, just small talk, but then gets all mad at me when I don't say anything." He ran his hand through his hair, making him look even more frazzled. "I don't understand girls, you know that."

"She isn't ready to talk about it, but she is ready to listen, Harry. Just tell her how you feel."

"Don't you think I've tried that! She just huffs off. I know she needs time, I've got plenty of time! It's just frustrating. You know exactly how you feel about someone and they keep giving you mixed signals. You don't know how frustrating that is, Hermione!"

She snorted, "I don't???" They both laughed. "You have to admit it's nice, though."

"What's nice about it?"

"That the only problem you have right now is your love life!"

He laughed, "I guess your right. Although that's not the only problem. I still need to write a speech for the memorial."

They had a leisurely breakfast on Thursday, although it was almost lunchtime when they ate it, as they both slept in. There was a rehearsal for the next day's ceremony at Hogwarts later in the afternoon. Harry still hadn't finished his speech, but he had at least decided what he wanted to say. Hermione had the Daily Prophet on her lap and was glancing down at it between bites of omelet.

"Anything interesting?" he asked after finishing his tea.

She smiled, "Well it appears they're finally off the 'Dark Lord Wannabe' angle. You are now a soft sided hero." She held up the paper, there was a photo of him holding Teddy and nuzzling his head with the caption, 'Hero Harry's Little Hero'. He groaned. "Its really a beautiful picture, Harry. You should try and get a copy. I'm sure Teddy will cherish it when he's older." Harry sighed, he hated it that Hermione was right all the time.

"What else did they say?" he asked, not quite certain he really wanted to know.

"Its actually a very nice article. They are very complimentary toward Lupin, that's nice. And they quote a lot of students saying what a great teacher he was. And obviously, they loved you and Teddy. Here." She pushed the paper towards him and got up and stretched. "I'm going to pop home and get dressed. I didn't bring anything to wear for today." She frowned as she took in his searching gaze. "I'm not wearing jeans and a tank top to Hogwarts!"

He shrugged. "Looks fine to me," he smiled. "Does that mean I can't wear jeans?"

"I don't care what you wear! You could go naked. But then you'll have to expect to be that way on the front of the paper!"

He pulled a face. "Point taken."

"Who can go naked?" Ron asked from the stairs. Harry and Hermione jerked around to the voice, they hadn't heard anyone come in.

"Could you kindda give me some warning?" Harry asked, putting his wand away. "I almost hexed you."

"He'd probably deserve it," Ginny quipped, coming down behind her brother. "been a right prat all morning."

"What else is new?"

"Hey! I have not. I can't help it if everyone in that house is mental! Mum's in a right mood this morning," he told his friends in an undertone. "And this one's not much better," he added, tilting his head toward Ginny.

"I am not." she huffed, "but I have to agree about mum. Had to get out of there, hope you don't mind?"

Harry smiled brightly at her. "Not at all, you're always welcome. Just ring the bell or something, though. Just in case I'm naked."

"Oy, back to that are we?" Ron joked. "Thought you just bought a bunch of clothes?"

Hermione shook her head, exasperated. "Really, Ron! Get your head out of the gutter. I was just going to go home to change. Do you want to come?"

"Can I see you naked?" Hermione punched him in the arm and stormed up the stairs.

"Can I come, Hermione?' Ginny asked as Harry's face fell. 'Just as well, I don't need the distraction', he thought, trying to fool himself.

"If I leave them alone, mum'll do her nut." Ron muttered. "Guess we'll see you at the school, then, Harry."

Harry stood in the kitchen for a few moments before making up his mind. "Hang on! I'll come with you, too." He would probably regret it in the morning when he didn't have anything prepared to say, but this was more important. This had to do with his future.

Ginny and Hermione spent almost an hour in her room, but Harry was glad he was at least in the same place as her. When they came down, the boys mouths dropped. They had both changed into skimpy summer dresses and heeled sandals and done something with their hair that made them look several years older.

"Wow, you look great!" Harry stuttered as Ron stared at Hermione the way he used to do to Fleur. "I feel underdressed, now," Harry commented, holding out his arms and showing off his jeans and polo shirt.

"You look just fine, Harry," Hermione assured him.

"Yeah, Harry," Ginny agreed. "Besides, no one would care if you went naked!" she giggled. Harry turned beet red, not sure what he should make of the comment. "Er, maybe we should get going, then," he mumbled.

They apparated to the gates of Hogwarts, Ginny agreeing to at least appear to be holding on to Hermione. They were a bit surprised that the gates were open, but there were so many workers milling about that it was probably safe enough. They all stopped working when they noticed the foursome, and all shouted greetings and thanks.

The transformation was amazing. Fresh stone had been laid on the drive, covering up the spell a damage and blood. New grass was already growing in the burnt spots on the lawn, apparently with some help from Professor Sprout, who they met near the entryway, planting small bushes that shot up as she waved her wand. She stopped and hugged them all awkwardly, leaving smudges of soil on their clean clothes. Hermione quickly cleaned them all and they went inside to the anteroom where the first years gathered before the sorting. Professor Sprout had told them that the meeting was to be in there, but the room was empty when they arrived, save for Peeves, who greeted them politely and somberly.

"What's with him?' Ron asked. "Not even a raspberry."

Hermione tutted. "He lives off the student's energy, Ron. No students-depressed Peeves."

"Yes and a welcome relief it is sometimes." Professor McGonagall replied from the door, "but I do admit he grows on you."

"Bit like a fungus, though, Minerva," Professor Sprout remarked. She followed the Headmistress into the room, along with Professors Slughorn and Flitwick. They all immediately took seats in the lounge like chairs in the middle of the room. Professor McGonagall motioned to the four students to take the sofa in the middle.

"We are expecting Neville, Luna and Seamus still," she told them. "I don't think the Minister will be making it today." She sat in another of the comfortable chairs opposite them. "We could probably start with you then Mr. Potter. Do you have a speech drawn up, yet?"

"Er, not yet, Professor."

"Hmm," she pursed her lips in thought. "It would be good if we knew approximately how long it will be, it would help us plan the rest of the ceremony."

"I can make it as long as you want. Or short. Or we could skip that part," he added hopefully.

The Headmistress smiled, "No such luck, Potter. Do you think you could make it about fifteen minutes or so? That would keep the whole thing a little over an hour."

Harry nodded and stood as Luna and Neville entered, followed by Seamus, who didn't seem to know why he was there. After they all greeted each other, Professor McGonagall continued with the instructions. "As you are aware we will be congregating here in the entry hall an hour before sunrise tomorrow; which is about five fifteen."

"Five fourteen, Minerva," Professor Flitwick corrected.

"Right. So you need to be here no later than four fifteen."

"In the morning?" Ron questioned.

Minerva smiled, knowingly, "Yes, Mr. Weasley. Four fifteen A.M.- in the morning. You managed it last week, did you not?"

Ron opened his mouth to protest, but closed it when he noticed her smiling at him. "Now, we would like everyone seated by Five. Minister Shacklebolt will speak until Five ten and then we will conduct a few moments of silence that will end when the sun rises. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Why sunrise?" They all stared at him in disbelief.

"That's precisely when you vanquished him, Harry," Hermione told him, using the exact term of the prophecy to emphasize the point. "The sun just came up as you said the spell."

"Oh, right. I guess I was a little distracted at the time." They all laughed.

"Completely understandable, Harry my boy," Slughorn chuckled. "Was a bit distracted myself, eh, Minerva?"

"I think we all were, Horace. Any other questions, so far?"

"Good. Now after sunrise, the Minister will introduce the processional. There will the traditional rider-less carriage followed by the Hogsmeade pipe corp. Then the Heads of each house will lead a token group of their students into the ceremony. We'll go over that later," she told her fellow heads. "After they have placed the house banners and the school flag on the dais, I will start to distribute the school awards. That is where you four come in," she nodded to Ginny, Luna, Neville and Seamus, who asked, "What do you want us to do ma'am?"

She smiled at him. "Mr. Finnegan, all you need to do is accept the award you are handed when your name is called." She looked down over the top of her glasses and added, "Unless you wish to say a few words?"

"No, professor, that's okay."

"Now you will all be seated on the dais, we will go over the seating arrangements later, and just get up and come to me when I call your name to receive your Award for Special Services to the school."

"Wow, that's great," Harry told them, "Congratulations!"

"Yes, yes, indeed!" Professor Flitwick added.

"I would really like to have rewarded you with more, but that is the best we can do at the moment, I'm afraid," the Headmistress told them continuing, "I will say something to that effect and also how the houses came together… etcetera, etcetera. I will then reintroduce the Minister, who will speak for about fifteen minutes, I am told. He will then hand out the Ministry awards."

"Er, where do we come in professor," Ron asked, confused.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "You three will be sitting on the other side of the podium and you will come up when your name is called. Mr. Potter will be last and Kingsley will introduce your speech, Harry." She looked to him and he nodded, frowning, He had heard something about passing out Order of Merlin awards, but he hadn't realized he would be on the receiving end. 'But of course, he would', he thought stupidly.

"Now, Mr. Longbottom," Minerva spoke to Neville, "as you will be receiving both awards, you will need to pay particular attention when the Minister calls."

"Yes, Professor," Neville agreed, slightly annoyed that she still thought him a bit of a dunderhead.

"Professor, what about the house elves?" Hermione asked.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes, "What about them, Miss Granger?"

"They fought too, shouldn't they receive an award or something?"

"We can only hand out so many awards, else they lose their importance, Miss Granger. But, perhaps Mr. Potter would like to commend them in his speech."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Minerva," Professor Sprout chimed in. All heads turned toward her as she elaborated, "I mean, they are still so excited about the dinner he served them, they were even singing in the kitchen this morning."

"Yes, Pomona, rather like a Disney film wasn't it?" Professor Flitwick agreed.

"That's the House Elves? They must sing while cleaning, too" Professor Slughorn remarked. "Dear me, I thought I was dreaming it last night, rather odd dream it was…"

"Yes, well anyway, Harry, it was very nice of you to serve them dinner, but you really must remember how unusual that act was."

"And possibly illegal," Slughorn added

"Illegal?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, yes," the potions professor told her, "There are quite a number of laws forbidding interaction between wizards and house elves."

"And feeding them is one?" Hermione huffed.

"Of course not, Hermione," McGonagall assured her, "But serving them as equals could be considered improper. I realize that this is one of the things that you would like to remedy, but now is not necessarily the time to make sweeping changes." She got up and moved toward the door, "Filius, would you please show these students the dais and explain the procedure," she asked the Ravenclaw Head. "You three, please come with me," she motioned to Harry, Ron and Hermione, "there is still a few more matters I need to discuss with you a little more privately."

Ron looked nervously at Ginny, who had already started to go with Professor Flitwick. "Er, Professor, I'm suppose to stay with my sister."

She smiled at him, "Yes, of course, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps you should go with the others and then you will be able to explain the procedures to your friends. Save me time," she nodded agreeing with herself that it was an excellent idea. "You can both meet us in the Head's office when you are done."


	12. Hogwarts

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**CHAPTER 12**

_Hogwarts_

Professor McGonagall escorted Harry and Hermione up the marble staircase, expressing her personal gratitude for what they had accomplished. Harry didn't feel as if he deserved any of it. There was still a lot of damage as they passed through the upper floors and Harry's demeanor obviously showed his disappointment.

"We concentrated on cleaning up the ground floor and the outside," the Headmistress told him as they neared the gargoyles. "This will all be repaired in due course, Harry. In fact, the German Ministry has graciously volunteered their best stone masons to assist us. Experts in magical castles," she added as they stepped on to the revolving stairs, "and they certainly have their share of them. None as wondrous as Hogwarts, of course," she stated proudly as they entered the office.

"Certainly not!" one of the portraits commented.

"Eavesdropping, Everard?" another chastised. The other portraits all tutted while Everard sputtered. Harry scanned the room, he couldn't find what he was looking for.

"Where is Professor Snape?" he asked McGonagall. The room went silent as the Headmistress glared at him over her glasses.

"Professor Snape," she responded slowly. "You witnessed his death yourself, did you not, Potter?"

"Yes. I mean his portrait. Shouldn't it be hanging here with the rest of the Headmasters?" he asked. McGonagall looked at him incredulously, as did some of the painted people. "Or, didn't he have one painted?" Sitting for a portrait didn't really seem like a very Snape thing to do.

McGonagall huffed. "Every Head has their portrait painted, it is the first thing they do. Even I have had one done, several actually. But really, Potter why do you ask? He allowed the Death Eaters to torture the students, teach ridiculous lies and he abdicated his position in the most dire of circumstances!"

"He did what he had to do to protect the school, Professor. He had no choice! He deserves to be up there as much as any of them." Harry waved his hand at the walls of paintings, "Probably more than some."

That caused another round of arguing amongst the portraits, some agreeing and some offended. Finally the largest portrait cleared his throat. "I agree with Mr. Potter."

"Albus!" McGonagall gasped. "Do you really? He, he killed you!"

"On my orders, Minerva," the painted Dumbledore stated. "I explained this all to you when found the pensieve on the desk. Severus did everything I requested of him to protect the students and Harry. He had to walk a fine line, of course, but did so with extreme skill. And bravery, I might add. It is a shame he had to leave as he did, he would have been a great asset to the Order on the inside."

"We thought he was a Death Eater, Albus! He did nothing to convince us otherwise."

"He needed to keep his cover, Professor," Harry told her. "You would have been in far more danger if he had confided in you. He did what he had to do. He left because he was threatened by his colleagues. He was asking for me because he had information for me, not to hurt me."

"Technically, Harry, he did abdicate," Dumbledore explained, "and that precludes his inclusion on the wall. Perhaps you could put in a good word for him with the board of governors?" Dumbledore gave Harry a knowing smile. "I understand your word is much better accepted these days."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. He missed these little talks with the Headmaster, even though it wasn't completely like the real thing, he hoped he would be allowed to come back and visit.

"Are you coming, Harry?" Hermione asked, driving him from his thoughts. She and McGonagall had started toward the door at the back of the room that Harry knew led to the Head's private quarters. "Oh, er, yeah," he mumbled and moved to join them, stopping as Ron and Ginny entered the room and were welcomed by all.

"As I was saying, Professor Dumbledore has requested that you be allowed to go through his possessions and take whatever you might like." Ron's mouth dropped and Ginny squealed excitedly. Harry shook his head, "I don't want anything, Professor…"

"It is not a matter of what you want, Potter. It is Albus' final wishes," she said shortly. "Now, he particularly wanted you to take some of his robes. There are many fine silks and brocades that are quite valuable. And Miss Granger, he requested that you sort through his books," she smiled at Hermione, who looked as though Christmas had come early. "In particular, there are several first editions of Dickens and a signed Bronte."

Hermione gasped. "But Professor they must be worth a fortune! I couldn't possibly…"

"As I said, it is Professor Dumbledore's wishes. You may do with them what you like, of course, but I have no use for them. Although, I did set aside a signed copy of 'The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck' for myself. I remember reading it as a child. I just loved Beatrix Potter."

Harry's head snapped up. He had been looking in the massive wardrobe when he heard his name. "No relation, Potter," she told him. "At least I don't think so. Have you found anything to your liking?"

And in fact, they all had. Harry left with over half a dozen robes, including one of Dumbledore's many purple ones adorned with moons and stars, and an armload of books and magical instruments. Ron, on whom the robes fit almost perfectly, also took a few of the more conservative ones as well as a magnificent cashmere cloak that Hermione insisted he have. The girls both found a few robes that they planned to alter, the fabric being too beautiful for them to pass up. Ginny took an old broom which she thought was an early Moontrimmer and some books. Hermione was in her glory, however and would have stayed all day leafing through the leather bound tomes had McGonagall not convinced her to just take them all by suggesting that those she did not wish to keep she could auction off for charity.

It was not until after they had returned to Grimmauld Place and Ginny and Ron had left (without their new treasures, so they could break it to their parents at a better time), that Harry made up his mind. "Kreacher?" The elf popped into Sirius' room where Harry was staying and bowed. "Do you think this can be made to fit me for the memorial ceremony?" he asked, slipping the pale gold lined black silk robe over his head.

"Would Master like the alterations to be permanent or just for the day?"

"Just for the day, I think." With a snap of the elf's fingers the fabric shrunk so that the robes fit perfectly. He turned in front of the mirror, he looked like a true wizard, and a sharp one at that.

"The alteration will last about twenty four hours, Master," Kreacher told him. "They is most exquisite robes, Master," he added, "you is looking very regal."

"I wasn't really going for regal, Kreacher. I was hoping more for neat," he said as he donned the matching wizard hat.

The elf actually chuckled as he adjusted the hat to fit. "They is very neat, Master. Although Kreacher must polish your shoes." Harry was beginning to think his house elf had a shoe fetish.

Hermione decided to shower before bed and have everything ready for when they woke at three am. Harry decided that the only way he would be able to wake up at three was either to not go to sleep at all or to take a cold shower in the wee hours of the morning. He choose the latter, as he was quite tired and didn't want to fumble through his speech, which he had spent the whole evening writing.

They arrived at the gates of Hogwarts shortly before four thirty and were met by a scene of crowded confusion. There was a long queue of witches and wizards, all formally dressed in fancy robes and hats, stretched out in front of the gates. Lucinda, in full dress scarlet Auror robes was trying to keep them moving up through the gates. Her magnified voice imploring everyone to have their tickets and ID ready. Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, they had neither.

"Er, Lucinda, I didn't get a ticket," Harry told her through the darkness of the pre-dawn.

"No ticket, no admittance," she answered mechanically before she turned to face them. "Oh, goodness, Harry. Its about time you got here, McGonagall's going spare. I have never seen her so nervous! Just get in there," she gently pushed him toward the gates. "And you are?..." she asked Hermione.

"Hermione Granger."

"Yes, of course you are. Go on then," the Auror followed them through. "Here sir, your chariot awaits," she joked showing them to a thestral led carriage.

"We can walk…"

Lucinda sighed in exasperation, "Ever hear of 'constant vigilance,' Potter? Besides, you'll get those lovely robes dirty. In you go."

"If I never hear those words again, I will be quite happy," Harry groused. "Nothing against Mad-Eye, of course."

The scene at the castle was even more hectic, between the carriages coming and going and people scrambling for seats. But by five they had all been seated and Kingsley spoke for just a few moments welcoming them all there and initiating the silent supplication. All stood with their heads bowed awaiting the sun, which rose right on schedule in brilliant red and gold, as if by magic. The lone carriage clopped around the drive as the hum of the pipers started growing around them. Finally, from his vantage point on the dais, Harry watched as a dozen students from each house paraded around and to their seats. He recognized all of the Gryffindors and most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The Slytherin students all seemed to be third years and below and none looked at all familiar to Harry. He wasn't surprised as most of the older Slytherins had taken the Death Eaters' side.

McGonagall spoke for a while about the rebuilding process, praising the students for their actions and thanking the staff. She handed out the awards to Ginny, Seamus and Neville, saying that they exemplified the bravery of many of the students. Kingsley then got up and spoke of the future of the Ministry and thanked all those who fought, especially the Order of the Phoenix, all of whom had received Order of Merlin Awards, Third Class, privately. He then gave a Second Class Merlin to Neville and First Class to Harry, Ron and Hermione who accepted graciously, if not completely willingly, particularly on Harry's part.

If he had found that accolade was embarrassing, it was nothing compared to what came next. As soon as Kingsley said that the Order of Merlin was not enough of an acknowledgement of Harry Potter's contribution to Wizarding society, Harry tensed. He knew exactly why the new Minister had not mentioned this to him, because he had the urge to refuse right there, if he had been able to move. Both Ron and Hermione had one hand firmly planted on each of his knees, keeping him from running off the dais.

By the time Minister Shacklebolt had finished explaining the new Albus Dumbledore Phoenix Medal for Contributions to Magical Society and the reason Harry Potter would be the first to receive it, Harry was shaking with either nerves or anger, he wasn't sure. If his friends hadn't had him planted in the chair, he probably would have fallen out of it. Fortunately, the long standing ovation that followed his introduction gave him time to calm himself.

"I'll never forgive you for this you know," he told Kingsley as the Minister slipped the phoenix shaped gold medal around his neck. He had to admit it was quite impressive, the golden bird had ruby tipped wings that were spread out in flight, sapphire eyes and topaz and ruby accents on its engraved feathers. It reminded him so much of Fawkes that it brought tears to his eyes. He quickly wiped them, took a deep breath and turned to the assembled crowd, pulling out his speech as he did so.

"_Thank you. That's really all I have to say. This is really quite an honor. The Minister knows me well enough to know that I never would have agreed to accept such an award had I known about it. It may interest him to know that I own a stake in Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Payback should be quite fun.... But back to my prepared speech…._

_Thank you. Thank you to my adoptive family who let me take their youngest son on an unknown and perilous quest without argument. Who provided us with shelter and support without question. Thank you to the Order of the Phoenix_ _for protecting my relatives and many of yours as well. Who did everything in their power to fight against the anarchy of the Death Eaters and lead us all into battle. _

_Thank you to Dumbledore's Army for proving that neither age nor house affiliation matter when it comes to choosing what is right. Many of them suffered greatly at the hands of evil and never wavered in their support. They are the true heroes. _

_Thank you to the staff of Hogwarts who, I am sure, are glad that I will not be returning to school. (You have to admit though, that the last seven years have certainly not been boring.) Thank you for all your knowledge and guidance, your patience and understanding and your steadfast support, even in the face of personal criticism. Thank you to the people of Hogsmeade and particularly Aberforth Dumbledore who helped the freedom fighters get into Hogwarts and helped the students to safely get out. Many gave their lives in the battle and others put theirs on the line to shore up a reserve force. All deserve recognition for their courageous actions._

_I had help from Goblins and Centaurs, Giants and House Elves. Two elves whom I personally would like to thank are Dobby, who for many years assisted me in ways I may never fully know or understand and who gave his life to save my friends and I. And Kreacher, who for years kept his Master's last secret that he had defied the Dark Lord and tried to fulfill his last wish- to destroy evil. I am proud to now live in his house. All magical beings united for the common causes of freedom and an end to prejudice and hate. We wizards are not alone in our quest for a better world._

_And I was not alone in my quest to vanquish Lord Voldemort. Throughout the last seven years and especially the last nine months, two people stuck by me. Even when it made them unpopular, even when it got them in trouble, even when it put them in mortal peril. There is no way I can ever thank Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger enough for everything they have done for me. For us. But the great thing about great friends is that they don't expect anything in return for the love and support they give. In fact, Hermione would be quite embarrassed if I drone on about how her talent and intelligence saved us all so many times. Ron would be mortified if I rambled on about how his loyalty and spirit kept us going through the worst of times. So I won't mention them. But you should all be very aware that they deserve your thanks as well._

_Finally there are two very important people I need to mention, both of them Headmasters of Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore showed me everything I needed to know to defeat Tom Riddle. He taught me to never underestimate the power of love. To always follow your heart, even if it seems to lead you into a dark forest. He always managed to walk the fine line between my personal needs and the greater good with wisdom, finesse and humor. We all owe him a great debt._

_And we owe a great debt to Severus Snape as well. There is much you don't know about Professor Snape. That he was one of the bravest men I will ever know. That he chose a life of constant risk over comfortable safety, all to redeem himself in the eyes of the only woman he ever loved. Up until his last breath, Severus Snape protected and aided her son to avenge her killer and I thank him from the bottom of my heart. It wasn't until he was dead that I knew the truth about his goodness, but you should all know of his greatness._

_We must all be thankful for the end of the hatred, prejudice and derision that has cost us so much. We have fought resolutely for this moment. But let us never forget that only in unity did we achieve our goals. Let us stay united in hope, peace and friendship. Thank you._

Harry canceled the sonorous charm and stepped back from the podium. There was silence for a few moments as Kingsley drew him into a one armed hug and then the noise started. The first round of polite applause quickly led to rousing cheers and much foot stomping. The band played, the crowd sang and Harry sat in shocked silence, taking it all in until Kingsley pulled him to him feet and he finally joined them all in long awaited celebration.


	13. epilogue

**ALL WILL BE WELL**

_By AP MoM_

A post chapter 36 fic. highlighting Harry's life over the next week.

The characters are not mine, nor is the premise or any of those things that JK Rowling owns, much to the chagrin of my family.

**EPILOGUE**

Harry curled up on the sofa in the sitting room of Number Twelve on Sunday evening, an old leather bound copy of "Great Expectations" in his hand and a fire crackling in the hearth. He had read the novel in primary school and would have enjoyed it a lot more if Dudley hadn't started calling him 'Pip', so he had decided to read it again. He was about a quarter way through and now understood it a lot better than when he was ten. He was quite enjoying it, despite the fact that the orphanage now reminded him of Tom's. He barely heard the doorbell ring as a log on the fire fell with a loud 'pop'.

"Master, you have a guest," Kreacher announced.

Harry looked up to see Ron chuckling behind the elf. "Feel like I'm in one of those romance novels mum likes. 'Master is in the drawing room. Come this way'," he imitated the elf. "You know, where all the blokes are rich and have all these servants and the woman are all gossipy society marms."

"Er, no Ron. I don't." Harry laughed. "How do you know anyway?"

"Ha, ha." But he blushed as red as his hair. "Anyway," Ron said as he plopped down into the wing chair by the fire and turned to face Harry, who had sat up and put the book down on the coffee table. "Hermione made it through to Australia okay. Lucinda sent word."

"Good. I'm glad Proudfoot sent Luci with her. I didn't fancy her going alone."

"I wish she would have let me go with her," Ron frowned.

"She needed to do this by herself, you know that. She sent them there herself and she wanted to bring them back herself. She never would have let us come. Besides your mum would have been too worried. She practically hugged Hermione to death last night, imagine if you had gone too?"

"I know, I know," Ron ran his hand through his ginger hair. "I just hope everything's all right…"

"It will be. She'll be back before you know it, and her family will be back together. I think she missed her parents."

"Yeah. And I miss her."

"Its only been a few hours, Ron!"

Harry and Ron met Hermione and her parents at the airport on Wednesday. Fortunately, the ministry driver insisted there wasn't enough room for Arthur, although Harry knew that the magical car could stretch to accommodate him. They had to promise to tell him everything about the airport over dinner that night.

While her father seemed fine, although a bit disgruntled, Mrs. Granger appeared disoriented and forgetful. Apparently it was a lot harder to make a mother forget her daughter, but the healer that checked them in Sydney had assured Hermione she would be fine in a few days. Hermione wasn't so sure.

"I made such a mess of things!" she sniffed after she had pulled Harry into the kitchen to make tea while Ron brought her parents' bags upstairs with them. "What if my dad doesn't forgive me? What if my mom doesn't come around?"

"Don't worry, Hermione," Harry assured her as he pulled her into a brotherly hug. "My turn to help you now. We'll figure it out."

Over the tea, Harry and Ron explained to Mr. Granger what had happened in their world and why Hermione had to go to such great lengths to protect them. Although he understood, he was still a little upset that she had erased their memories of her and that his wife was not quite herself. He went out to the garden and Harry followed, hoping to better explain the danger they had been in and their daughter's role in the Wizarding war.

Over the next several weeks Harry spent most of his little free time away from the Auror office at the Grangers. The Burrow had lost much of its cheeriness as the pall of Fred's death lingered over it. Although George was reopening the shop, whenever Harry tried to stop by to help Ron and his brother, huge crowds would gather, making it difficult to really get much done. So Hermione's house became his refuge of normalcy. The more time he spent with the Grangers, the more he liked them. He helped John start a vegetable garden doing all the work by hand, getting to know the man in the process. He figured out immediately where Hermione's dry sense of humor came from as well as her love of books. Anything her father wasn't sure of he looked up, if not in one of the many books in the den, then on the computer, which he patiently taught Harry to use.

Jean Granger was an extremely organized, fastidious woman, which made her forgetfulness even more frustrating for her. Fortunately, the episodes had decreased substantially and after a few weeks, she only tended to forget things when tired or stressed. Harry's stomach was quite pleased at this as Hermione's mother was a gourmet chef, who didn't like to follow recipes. Her first few dinners after returning home had been a bit less than appetizing as she used the wrong ingredients or forgot some altogether. She took to Harry much more readily when she discovered that he knew his way around a kitchen. Harry in turn found there was something familiar and comforting about her and was surprised to realize one night while back home in bed that she reminded him of his Aunt Petunia. Albeit a nicer version of her.

On one early morning shift a little over a week after Hermione's return, Harry walked to his desk to discover that someone had plastered a dozen glossy magazine photos of him all over his cubicle. "A Week Of Hero Fashion!" the Witch Weekly Cover exclaimed. There were pictures of Harry Potter in almost everything he had worn over the week of services and memorials. Actually it was over a week, as one photo showed him in the new Auror uniform of black pants and deep purple polo shirt that they had only started wearing three days previously.

"I hope you don't sleep in the buff," Williamson joked, slapping him on the shoulder as Harry stood in front of his desk with his mouth agape.

"Er, n.... no," he stuttered, blushing. "At least not anymore," he added with a laugh. Everyone in the office who had been awaiting his reaction to the prank let out a collective breathe and laughed right along, the jokes becoming more and more risqué until one of the secretaries shouted, "hey! We're trying to work here!"

Embarrassment aside, he quietly took down almost all the photos, leaving the one of him holding Teddy and jokingly scribbled his signature and passed them around. "That'll pay for that new broom you wanted, Brian," he joked to Williamson. "Hope it's a used Cleansweep."

All in all, Harry was having an easier time fitting in to the Ministry than Ron, or even some of the older Aurors, who didn't seem to adjust well to the relaxed new style of Proudfoot. Ron, who was still mourning his brother, shied away from any social interactions and worked extra hours anytime volunteers were needed. When Proudfoot asked if he needed some time off to be with his family, Ron declined saying that catching the remaining Death Eaters was more important.

"Maybe, you should take a break, Ron," Harry told him over lunch one day. "Give George more of a hand, or see Hermione a little more."

"George has enough help, Angelina and Lee are there almost every day. And Hermione wants to spend more time with her parents. They don't seem to like me as much as they do you. Besides, I need the pay if I want to do anything nice with her."

"I'm not as much of a threat," Harry told him. Ron narrowed his eyes. "I'm not going to take her away from them. One day," he added seeing Ron's confused look. "They just got her back, Ron. They know how you feel about each other. Probably before either of you did. Give them time to get to know you. Listen, I'll stop going round as much, or I'll start bringing Ginny or something, make it less of a big deal. And, Ron, Hermione doesn't really care about 'nice' things. She just cares about you."

Ginny was quite happy to get out of the house and spend time with her best friend. The two couples helped in the garden, went to the mall and played with the computer, although John had to fix it every time Ron did anything on it. Whether it was his magic or his ineptitude, Harry couldn't determine. But the thing they all liked doing best was watching videos of movies. One rainy day, after learning that Neville had gotten a prestigious internship at the Magical Gardens at Epcot, in Disney World, for the summer, they watched every Disney movie Hermione owned. John and Jean joined them after they heard them laughing at "Snow White" and were shocked as Ginny and Ron explained that the dwarves were really house elves and Snow White was a squib; which was, of course, why the queen wanted to get rid of her. On the other hand, they cried so hard when Mufasa died in 'The Lion King' that Jane made them all hot chocolate and chocolate chip biscuits to cheer them up. They all ended up discussing the similarities between Simba and Harry until Harry threatened to really turn Ron into a warthog. "Do you think anyone would notice?" Ginny asked, putting on her best 'innocent little sister' face.

Harry's life had settled down considerably. He was happy with his career choice and loved going to work, despite the boredom of the paperwork and the tedium of the trials that he had to attend. Within three months, Voldemort's followers who had escaped the Final Battle had been arrested or found dead. Surprisingly, Harry had nothing to do with them, although Ron had been on the team that found Rowle's body. All the Death Eaters were convicted and given life sentences in Azkaban, still a horrible place despite the absence of the Dementors.

At the beginning of July, Shacklebolt called Harry into his office. "So, Harry are you planning anything special for your birthday?" Harry looked at him curiously, it was an odd question for a Minister to ask, even if it was Kingsley.

"Er, no. Should I?"

Kingsley smiled. "Not unless you want to join in on the festivities."

"Festivities?" Harry wrinkled his nose.

The minister pushed a flyer in front of him. 'Harry Potter Day Festival! Diagon Alley. July 31'. "I understand there may be one in Hogsmeade as well."

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Neville's been after me to visit. Lucinda's been saying I should go."

"She loves Orlando, I must admit I'm surprised they came back after living there for three years," Shacklebolt said. "I think you'll like it, Harry. 'The happiest place on earth' they say."

"I'm happy, here."

"Take a holiday, Harry. Someplace warm and sunny. Two weeks ought to do it. I'll make the arrangements."

"But,…"

"No need to thank me, Harry. Have fun."

And he did.

_Thanks for the reviews and all the kind words. I may or may not elaborate on the epilogue and Harry's future in a new fic. Happy New Year to all. Needless to say, I just came back from Disney (and Universal) so I had to have Harry go there!_


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